The curse of Soa
by QQQ p
Summary: Don't read this story it sucks and its very old. The only reason I haven't gotten rid of the bloody thing is because I'm feeling sentimental. Read if you have nothing better to do than waste your life on this awful trash.
1. Return of the past

Return of the past  
  
The night moved smoothly across the forest outside the small village of Seles. Dart looked out into the dark night. There were many stars shining in the sky like diamonds enchanted with a light of their own. They twinkled back into Dart's eyes.  
  
The dragon buster held loosely in Dart's hand, he swung it through the air and it cleaved the wind. He missed having to use the power of the dragoon. But it was nice to settle down now finally and be with Shana for good. Over the year there had been no children, but everyone had been busy restoring Seles. Dart didn't mind.  
  
The dragon buster was the only remains and link to his past. His father Zieg, who most of the time had been possesed by a wingly dictator, and Rose who had used the dragon buster. It glowed yellow, the blade seemingly made of fire or magic. The journy was over, the monster was defeated now, it was all over now, time to settle down.  
  
Though somehow he always had to come out here at night, enjoy the air, where the adventure had started, afresh. He looked to the moon which was in the night sky. It was pretty and white unlike the everlasting moon which had been destroyed. A red glow use to cover it's face like blood, the Virage embryo. It seemed so long ago now, yet is seemed so fresh in his memory. The spirit stone of the divine dragon felt light in his palm, it itched his soul pleadingly.  
  
"Just, tonight" thought Dart. He had told Shana he wouldn't use the power again unless it was against a foe but it just seemed so nessecery. "Let's see how long I can last before I drop like a stone"  
  
Quickly he held the stone up to the moons light and it shone stretching rays of power out lighting the forrest. Dart was lost under the power of the dragon, his madness filling the gap in the stone which once contained the dragon's body. Multiple wings shot out glowing yellow and an intense armour entangled him which was indestructible but under the dragoon's power as light as a feather.  
  
With the acsessorys he was almost three times his previous sise, a black shoulder cannon of magic sat waiting for the aching command, to fire.  
  
Dart stould in the darkness of the forrest at night, and closed his eyes. He began to consentrate. Dart had recently discovered a new spell from the stone, Divine blessing. A powerfull healing magic equal to the silver dragon, it closed wounds cured disease and even raised those who had fallen in battle to new strength. It was a side of the Divine dragon he had not expected, but he also knew that with this third spell like all dragoons there must also be the summoning spell. Dart knew this and wanted it, he could not die without the complete set although he would never need to use the power again.  
  
"I shall go out to the location of the divine tree one day and marster my skills" said Dart to himself. He concentrated, his eyes closed, concentrating on keeping the power around him flowing. Minutes past but they seemed like hours, Dart knew he could go on a whole lot longer but he didn't know how to. The power seemed to begin to drain from him and he felt his body would snap in two. Just as he was about to give in, the power draining his life away he heard a voice.  
  
"Dart!" it was Shanna's voice "Help me! They are going to destroy Seles again, please! No!"  
  
"Shana!" exclaimed Dart opening his eyes suddenly. He tried to fly but he fumbled and almost fell through the exhaustion, quickly he readied himself and let out a roar, jumping up into the air his wings flapped tearing the air apart. Dart flew quicker than he ever had done, he had never had to fly this far and at the same time he new he couldn't or could he? Looking down he saw the trees illuminated by the moon's light looking up at him.  
  
Somehow the dragon buster had made it's way into Dart's hand, he never even remembered taking it out. He saw it hanging down cutting the air, he almost seemed afraid that it would cut the world in two if he did not hold it back. He raised his head and the reflextion of fire gleamed in Dart's eyes.  
  
What met Dart's eyes was truly terrifying. It seemed almost hundreds of feet up in the air a super Virage stould over Seles, as old as time. It gave a cry. Theses creatures were the oldest living things left on the planet known to man. They were giant vessils created by magic by the anchient winglies. Dart had only ever thought two before and had barely scraped through the battles.  
  
"No!" shouted Dart but it was to late. Multiple beams of light shot down onto the screaming people and lives were shattered. It's dark body was illuminated by flames. Over the hill far away another Super Virage approached, Dart looked behind him and from far away he could see another walking slowly like a steamroller shaking the land slightly as each one took a step. Fire lighted the village like a glow from a forge. Unlike the forge however this fire had no love in it, all it had was death and darkness.  
  
The Virage's body was made up of deep purples, it had two gigantic arms which streched forth with no fingers and a very small head. The head, or if you could call it a head was more like a bump in the Virage's neck. It had no face, but to the equal it's arms it also had two gigantic legs.  
  
Over Seles was what looked like a black cloud. But it wasn't, it was a army of hundreds of winglie's flying over the village and dropping fire bolts down below. As Dart watched he saw several fleeing people go up in smoke. Also weaker Virage approached by air in great numbers, across to the west behind the approaching super Virage lights went up near other towns. The super Virage readied to fire again.  
  
"No way!" shouted Dart and a beam of blue light stretched out from his fingertips and smacked the Super Virage in the chest. It stould firm and looked back towards Dart with angry eyes flairing red. Quickly it's great hands stretched forward and multiple rocks were sent flying towards Dart. He dodged each except the last which hit him and shattered into pieces. The weaker Virage started to fly towards Dart but before they could reach him he turned on them the dragon buster shining in the night sky. He was exhausted but this new aggression came to him in battle. The blade flew easily along with the great broard sword Dart used. A head spun of one and fell down towards the ground with a humoungous crash, another lost and arm and swiped madly with the other in an attempt to hit Dart.  
  
It staggered about wildly swiping and Dart dodged each time. He wanted to use his battle tactics but the village was in the way. Usually he would fly up to a high point and rain fire bolts down onto all of his enemies but he would utterly destroy the village using that spell. The super Virage appeared unharmed but Dart knew he had heart it quite badly. He could hit it with his spells a few more times and it would go down. He had thought such creatures before but never in numbers. Now he had the Divine dragoon spirit and he was finding himself to overestimate things.  
  
Dart charged towards the super Virage menacingly and sliced a great mark across it's chest, it reeled back in pain but with a lucky swipe smacked Dart with it's great arm. Dart just a little dazed from the effort shot a beam of light again casting Divine Ball. The move his exactly where Dart had aimed for and separated the super Virage's neck away from it's body. The creature fell slowly to the ground and luckily missed the village.  
  
"Stop!" shouted a voice over the racket "you have no chance Dart. Give up now or Shana dies!"  
  
"Let go of me!" shouted Shana writhing in the wingly's grasp. A wingly which like all of the others had platinium hair hovered in the air holding Shana tight in his grasp. The male wingly had dark eye brows, and blue eyes. A scar ran across his left eye and a blue sword was held in his hand. "You are a fool Dart. I hoped I could kill you in the blast before you realised but now we will have to do it the painfull way " he continued  
  
"How dare you attack Seles!" shouted Dart back "And how dare you touch Shana! What buisness do you have h..."  
  
Suddenly bolts hit Dart in the back and he fell down in height. He staggered and started to drop.  
  
"Dart!" screamed Shana  
  
Light eminated around him and he fell to the ground the last way. It was anougth to brake any mans legs easily but Dart was different, he fell with no strength but found it in himself to land safely. He couldn't hold it anymore, the strain was to much. Quickly he held the stone up but it only spluttered a tinkle of white light. Dart fell to his knees in agony holding tightly to the dragon buster. He had detransformed.  
  
"Finish that perfetic wretch" shouted the wingly pointing down at Dart.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" asked Dart stalling for time  
  
"I don't answer to humans" replied the wingly looking away "even the most powerful humans… have I given you a clue?"  
  
The super Virage stomped over and pointed it's arm down at Dart slowly in satisfaction.  
  
"Kill him now fool!" shouted the wingly "don't wait!"  
  
The light shot out and hit in a great cloud of white light. Grass burned and a crator appeared marking the ground but when the smoke cleared Dart was not there.  
  
"What the?" muttered the wingly looking around. He had forgoten that Dart though powerful as a dragoon still had the dragon buster. The Super Virage was quicker to realize this as it lost all fealings in it's legs. It fell to the ground with a crash and landed on most of Seles braking down what was left of the burned out houses.  
  
"Get him!" shouted the wingly and the whole army of winglys and Virage stormed after Dart. Naturaly Dart turned away and started to run dam quick.  
  
"Please say I wake up now, please say I wake up now" muttered Dart under panting breaths. He heard the shout "fire!" and he heard the beams coming but he also heard a familiar voice "over here!"  
  
Dart looked up quickly to his left and felt a thump in the chest lifting him up off his feet. All he could see was darkness. For a moment he heard nothing, just the sound of the wind.  
  
"Am I dead?" asked Dart to the skys.  
  
"No" replied Loyd looking down on him "not yet"  
  
The platinum wingly once a enemy presumed dead now stould before Dart in…  
  
"In dragoon form?" muttered Dart  
  
"I see you are badly heart" muttered Loyd. All of a suddern the bolts hit there target and there was an almighty flash of light. A mushroom cloud eminated upwards from behind Dart and he had to close his eyes. "Astral drain!" called Loyd over the noise. His sword flew away across the battlefield. Like Dart had done with Rose he waited patiently for the sword to return and with it, it's healing powers. It found a lonesome small Virage. The impliment raged forward and stuck into the chest of the creature, seconds later with a red glow it came back and Dart felt the blue glow of it's healing powers.  
  
"Death dimension!" shouted Loyd. Darkness surrounded the approaching enemies and they filled with fear. When the darkness cleared Loyd was gone and with him Dart.  
  
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"Sir," wispered the butler  
  
"Not now!" replied Albert harshly "I have a meeting to attend to  
  
"It's important" ignored the Butler bowing graciously before the king. Albert's expression became pale. He looked arround for a second and then put his arm over the butler's shoulder. It was a different atmosphere now. The nice warm wind blew through the air comforting all. The sun was shining and everywhere in the palace there was the sighns of comfort.  
  
"What is it then?"  
  
The butler paused looking to the king for a second or two.  
  
"It's Emile. She wishes to be near you more. She complains to me every day and I thought I better talk to you of it. I know it's not my place, and I know you are a most gracious king and that's why I feal I can help you!"  
  
"Oh dear… Emile" muttered Albert "I'm sorry"  
  
"Perhaps you could talk to her?"  
  
"Not now, I really don't have time" replied Albert quickly coming to his sences  
  
"Is that the king speaking or you?"  
  
"Please Arther! I know she wants me to be with her. Trust me once this buisness is over I'll, I'll try and spend more time with her. It's just these petty occourences keep turning up"  
  
"Albert" muttered Arthur  
  
"Look, I really don't have the time right now. I'll talk to you later" and with that Albert walked off down towards the throne room. A lucky escape for him, it was the last thing he wanted to talk about. He was worried, there were big troubles going on, Albert felt it but nobody had bothered to tell him a thing!  
  
Albert like dart had a blond hair only there was something more refind about his. Dart's stuck out like spikes while Albert had a better hair style. Wherever he went he always trailed a green cape behind him. He also had a secret, a burning secret like Dart's waiting to get out. The Jade dragoon spirit.  
  
Albert walked into a room full of people. He opened the door quietly and closed it behind him. Many faces of worry met his and he felt a gulp in his throat. What could it be? A funeral? War? Disarster?  
  
Quickly Albert sat on his throne and drummed his fingers on the side. Councelers of war and important guests flocked into the room and sat on chairs placed acordingly. Most of the lesser councelers stould up, but what a site it was. The clothing was so very varied from dusty desert cloths to full suits. Even some representatives of Tiberoa were ministers a country to the north west of Serdio.  
  
Soon the meeting began. Albert stould up standing next to his prime and most trusted advisors. Albert didn't really like advisors anymore he had a bad fealing about them. But still he had some for prestigue, and they were useful sometimes. They had good idears.  
  
"So what's all this commotion about then? I have heard no news of problems throughout Serdio and yet you all show such grim faces!"  
  
An important advisor with a grey beard stould up slowly. A purple cloak rapped tightly arround him.  
  
"Your highness, the anchient monsters of legond have come back to haunt us. Yesterday winglies in vast ammounts invaded the south of Serdio, with them their primery old weapons, Virage"  
  
"In… large numbers?" wispered Albert  
  
"There were more Virage than there are people in this room, your highness. If they had traveled north over the mountains then are beloverd capital could have been flatened even by now"  
  
Albert paused and looked around the room. Slowly he sat down and the advisor followed suit out of politeness.  
  
"Humans cannot fight Virage" muttered Albert  
  
"Then what should we do?" replied a voice from amongst the crowd of advisors. Out of that a argument broke out and people began to bicker shouting amongsth themselves. The word War suddenly was thrown out of the noise and Albert stould up.  
  
"Shut up!" he screamed. Silence imidiately filled the room and everyone sat down. Many glared at each other.  
  
"Humans cannot fight against these creatures but dragoons can"  
  
"So what are you sudgesting? You go alone and defeat the army all by yourself?" sneered a official.  
  
"I did… not! ,Ask for your comment Ranzeti. If you think you can get away with saying things like that in front of me then why don't we see what you can do by yourself against a Virage? I was not implying anything at all that I try and save are nation by my self. All I am saying is that armies cannot do a dam thing against them. If all the sword strikes of the Serdian army hit then every wingly and Virage would fall ten times dead. But if all the armie of Serdio was pushed into one room, they would all be killed in one shot by one Virage. We outnumber them but there is no way any of you would ever get near them. We need to recall the dragoons together"  
  
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Dart stirred. Slowly he looked arround him, a sound met his ears. It was a slow drip, drop and the sound faintly or flowing water. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked up. He had had a horrible dream. Seles was being attacked and everyone in it had been killed, and what was worse, a wingly had taken Shana captive with a whole host of Virage and winglys.  
  
But wait, this wasn't a dream. The sound, the water. Dart looked around him quickly. It was a dark gigantic cave where fresh water burst from the rocks to make streams. The whole place glowed shades of blue purple and green. Stalakytes hung from the cave roof, some quite worringly had the bottom part missing from them. Rocks lay randomly about the hard floor.  
  
"Where am I?" asked Dart to the thin air.  
  
"Your in the lime stone caves, north of Seles" replied Loyd's voice "I don't recommend we leave here for a while yet"  
  
Dart leapt to his feet and looked arround quickly. He saw Loyd, he stould kneeling by a water channel washing his face. Slowly he refilled a leather water bottle and hung it at his side.  
  
"You passed streight into sleep after your ordeal, I'm not surprised after the blows you were taking"  
  
"How did you get that spirit!" demmanded Dart raising his voice and reaching for his sword. He found it and searched for the dragon buster. It must have been there somewhere. Suddenly it clattered to the ground by Dart's feet.  
  
"Yours, I belive" muttered Loyd turning back to the water. Dart picked it up slowly his eyes focusing on Loyd all the time, he still did not trust him. Loyd turned arround slowly after Dart had looked at him for long anougth. After ahwile he realised the question was still hanging in the air.  
  
"Oh alright, if I must"  
  
"Explain your self!" demmanded Dart "of how you grave robbed Rose!"  
  
Loyd's eyes glinted. He stould up quickly and gave a look of fowel hatred and anger at Dart so strong that Dart almost fell over as if a blow had hit him in the stomach.  
  
"How dare you assume I just stole from that women! Have you learned nothing of me? Through all the wise words you were giving me on the way to Kaddessa? You Fool! Out of all the crimes I commit I certainly don't sink as low as that. How dare you accuse me of disturbing the eternal rest of a skilled fighter the likes not seen from human kind since at least 10000 years! If this were then, I would kill you for that remark"  
  
There was a long silence and Loyd turned away. Quickly he flung his sword forward and cleaved a rock into two pieces which would have given a Gigantos a hard time braking with three strokes.  
  
"Loyd... I'm sorry if I angered you. I had no right, you have just saved my life. I'm sorry"  
  
"Save your pitty! All I need is a sword to answer my problems" replied Loyd quickly "If you want the dark dragoon spirit back then have it. Loyd turned and flung the stone to the ground. Dart had a fleeting moment of extreme worry that the stone would fall in a gushing stream and be cast away but it landed safely on rock.  
  
"The spirit" began Loyd "came to me and me only. It is mine now and will work for no other. After the explosion in which that power mad fool Melbu was destroyed along with Zieg and Rose I lay, life fleeting before my eyes. Somthing kept me tied to the earth, through the pain of the stroke which had pierced my body, I writhed inside my own head through the agony. I was still alive but seemed stunned, or paralised, the pain eating me away. I heard the battle raging on but could not move to stop it, then my eye sight failed. As the battle finished the platform colapsed and I fell to my death, but my angel boots kept me alive. Clinging to life a lay at the bottom of the crator. The explosion raged and I felt the boots restoring me once again"  
  
Dart looked down at Loyd's boots. He saw that they were black and scortched and had patches on them.  
  
"The turmoil finished and I lay broken under piles of rubble. I felt for my bag carefully and managed to take one of my carefully tresured healing potions I had bought in Donau. I forced myself to drink it but found my self stuck under the rubble. Hours passed and I began to be crushed slowly alive. I could see that I was not going to make it and I did not expect to make it. But then, it came to me. Somthing shining above me through a crack in the stones. A blue shining stone, I reached for it in vain through my blurred eyes but I could not grab it. My leg was trapped and crushed under the rubble. I could not grab it, but then... it moved, for me. It rolled down and entered the palm of my hand. I clutched it, it was to be mine. The stone chose to heal me, it transformed me into the dark dragoon, the second user. I felt the new power of the dragoon, it was different from the divine dragoon, it suited me more. And, it chose me. I had forced the divine dragon spirit to work for me through strong magics, but this was different. I felt the bounds tied to me and realised why my power as the divine dragon was not anougth"  
  
"What do you mean?" questioned Dart sitting down.  
  
"I mean" replied Loyd "that you took the divine dragoon's true form, the marster form, I could only take the smaller form that all other dragoons take. The divine dragoon has somthing more to it, somthing unique that I could not grasp, it would not let me if I carried it for a thousand years. To simplify, it likes you better. And so, with the new found power, I broke away the rubble encasement and escaped in dragoon form. I traveled to Demingrad alone and earned some money gambling. I cheated... I then travled to the woods in the centre of the land and met with the winglys there. I had always known about them from books long ago but that's another story. Unknown to that wingly freind of yours who was away at the time, somewhere in these lands I think, her people nursed me back to full health. I spent my time after that searching for you"  
  
"And you found me" replied Dart remembering being chased by Virage "but not before Seles was destroyed........ destroyed forever..... Shana!"  
  
"I decided to head to my home town. Satavesti"  
  
"What?" gasped Dart "you have a home town?"  
  
"You will learn of it soon anougth. It is a anchient wingly city that has remained secret since the dragon campaign. It was in fact the militery core of all the wingly citys. It was like Aglis, a city of study. It's main purpose was to protect the god of Destruction from ever being released. Every 100 years the Winglies capturing anougth power would create a secret Super Virage and send it to Saravesti. They only ever made about fithteen of those powerfull creatures. Five of them were kept in Saravesti so that they could be used to stop any who tried to bring down the everlasting moon or if it came down the winglies were hopful that with anougth super Virage stored in the city they could even take down the god of destruction him self. The other super Virage were mainly destroyed during the dragon campaign. Dragons flocked the sky with dragoons leading them, in their haste the wingly wizard Faust tracked down the divine dragoon and sealed him away so that the humans would never gain his power. It looks like they failed. The super Virage were used as guards against the main cities, one was placed beneath the death city mayfill but it was never summoned the one in Zenabatos was completely destroyed. All the Virage in Kaddessa were wiped out but they never found Saravesti, even the winglys didn't know much about it. I suspect Melbu thought it must have been destroyed by time more than anything else"  
  
"You seem to know everything I never have known" stated Dart somewhat annoyed  
  
"How could you know? Saravesti is completely invisible and moves across the sky using one of the flight orbs made with the crystal sphere. I left that place to seek my fortune amongst the world a long time ago"  
  
"But surely, if you had lived in Saravesti in your child hood, surely you would have known all about the fate of the world and what the Everlasting moon would do if ever it landed back down upon the earth" asked Dart with an intense curiosity.  
  
"I did" replied Loyd solemly "Emporah Diaz as I used to call him had a strange way of convinceing people to do things. He convinced me the winglies lied to me, though I never told him though he questioned, where I came from. That would be traitorous against my people, dam them! Are leader, the one you saw in Seles, called Hatu Frahma, he is a ancestor of that fool. It seems ignorance runs in their blood... He told me that he had learned of my misleading and told me that it was all you and humankinds thought. He first accused Diaz but I explained to him Diaz's true Identity, he did not belive me. He told me that day he had sent an army to Serdio to recapture the moon child. To re-imprison the soul remaining of the god of destruction. To do that he has to take Shana to a secet level below in Mayfil. The chamber of the dead, where souls could be imprisoned. All he needs is a sphere and Shana and...."  
  
"What happens to Shana!?" asked Dart quickly "does she die when he takes her there?"  
  
"We are not ready to go" muttered Loyd  
  
"Answer me streight!" shouted Dart  
  
There was a long pause. Loyd looked away to the silence of the rushing water. It seemed not as calm anymore, not so peacefull. It felt dangerous again.  
  
"Shana will be killed if she is taken to Mayfill. Using the new crystal sphere Hatu Frahma will almost certainly reinslave humanity and return the citys to the skys. Who knows what he will do in revenge against the dragoons? Against your societies. We must find the other dragoons and unite them to defeat him!"  
  
"I don't care!" screamed Dart over Loyd and cutting him short "I'm going to Mayfill now! I cannot allow Shana to die. I or you as well shall end this as soon as possible. Will you come with me?"  
  
Loyd picked up his sword and walked over passed Dart who had stould up in the conversation. Loyd picked up the dark dragoon spirit and walked back over to Dart.  
  
"I'll come with you" muttered Loyd  
  
Long ago the shell of the god of destruction was born. The imortal soul was sperated and the body banished to the sky. Though the second era of dragoons had destroyed the body, the soul can never be destroyed. It will live forever, as a power seeking in saddness it's destroyed body. Forever it shall roam the world, forever it's saddness shall be imense, that it was the one being which failed Soa. It failed it's quest, the marster movement to create the new world. Or was this also Soa's plan? That the world should not be destroyed?  
  
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The city of Lohan was always in a hustle and bustle as people walked arround trying to get what they wanted. Shouts rose out of the city  
  
"Fresh fish!"  
  
"Lovely jewelry!"  
  
"Get your apples here!"  
  
People bustled to and throw looking amongst the many shops. It was easy to get lost in Lohan, the streets and back allies were a mess of houses and routes. Even those who knew the place well could get lost in a knew part of town they had never known existed. Meru was almost tempted to fly but she knew her husband would kill her if she did.  
  
Meru was like all wingly's, platinium haired. The great human leader of the dragon campaign emporah Diaz once said joking to Zieg and a number of other men who were consuming vasts amounts of alkahol  
  
"I am surprised the wingly's still exist! With their lack of variety, they should all have caught a common disease by now and plumeted from the world!"  
  
Looking through the many shops, Meru always saw somthing she wanted to buy. Her resently married husband Guhara who had a red band arround his forehead seemed utterly bored. He hadn't seemed interested in anything Meru had shown him so far. Meru kept calling him a wet minintos and pushing him on. However he did show an interesting glance when Meru acidently stumbled upon the heroes tournament centre. It was coming up to that time of year again, the audiences were hoping for a reapear of the old heroes who had come in long ago and given the most exciting duals ever witnessed in Lohan.  
  
Meru seeing the glint in her husbands eye quickly dragged him forward and lead him to the building.  
  
"Let's go in there!" she hurried  
  
"But Meru!" replied Guhara exasperated "that's a gambling fighters tournament, that's not the place for us!"  
  
"What were you expecting?" replied Meru "A four poster bed?"  
  
There was a long pause as Meru dragged him through the crowed.  
  
"That's not what I meant!" he muttered after they got to a clearing. Meru turned abruptly and kissed him on the cheak "silly billy!" she laugthed and lead him in blushing bright red.  
  
The inside of the fighter's arena smelled of strange spices and foods. A strange sound could be heard and looking up a small race track could be seen running arround the whole room. Meru walked up to the ticket office.  
  
"Excuse me" asked Meru after she got passed a cue of people "but on what day is the tournament?"  
  
The lady looked up slowly.  
  
"Haven't you heard? It was moved back to today!"  
  
"Meru!" stuttered Guhara your not seriously gonna?  
  
"Nah, hah. I was just kidding" replied Meru leaning back. Quickly she lead him on passed the amusements until she came to another desk.  
  
"So, are you entering the heroes tournament then?" muttered a man with small spectacles.  
  
"Me?" answered Guhara "no, no. Meru here is just having a look around"  
  
"Yeah, that's it" replied Meru "you can sighn my name down though"  
  
The man looked up suddenly with a gawping expression. "how do you spell that, er... miss"  
  
"Meru! M E R and U!" she exclaimed with a happy grin pushing back her husband who was trying to complain.  
  
"Meru! You could get killed in there!" he complained"please! don't do it!"  
  
"So that's a yes? Right! I'll meet you in there then. The balconys are that way!" gestured Meru waving her hand franticly in a direction to her right which could have meant anything from streight up, to right behind her.  
  
Meru's pretty blue stuck up clothing shone glittery in the darkness of the hero arena. Her pretty face made her look like some kind of fairy or somthing. It was no surprise that several people laugthed at her. Ignoring them she ran into the waiting area withdrawing her hammer to her hands. It was a pretty white thing which glimmered silver.  
  
"Drat!" muttered Meru "I've left all my potions behind. Oh well. Anyway I've got to win! That will brighten up old dull face over there"  
  
The room was filled with the usual clamour of people that turned up every tournament, warriors big and small ready to kill each other in an instant. They all laugthed at Meru and Meru told them all back to shut up, but they ignored ignorantly. Meru eventualy just sank down in a corner and sulked. What kept her from going beserk was the fact that she could give them a really hard time in the tournament as revenge.  
  
Time passed and Meru began to get bored. The heroes were all buisey perepairing now and had gotten bored of her. They were sharpening swords and readying arrows. Meru began to think of Dart and the other dragoons. It seemed so long ago now, that the adventure had started when she met them in Tiberoa.  
  
Eventually the horn sounded and Meru looked up. Her face looked up to a man looking down on her.  
  
"Oh... hallo. Who's up first?" queeried Meru  
  
"You are! The other guys already out there waiting for you!"  
  
Meru swaired.  
  
Out in the arena Guhara looked down from his row biting his fingernails. A kind soldier from Serdio next to him offered him a green limb of somthing dipped in somthing yellow and slimey to eat. Guhara turned down the offer with a smile and looked down into the ring.  
  
"What's getting to you?" asked the soldier  
  
"My wife has entered the tournament. And if she doesent win........."  
  
"Oh, I see. Pretty bad huh. Try one of these! They're really nice! Trust me!"  
  
Guhara looked at the green limb once more and picked it up. He would eat it out of politeness he told himself in his head. Slowly he put it to his lips, and took a bite.  
  
The limb landed in the arena.  
  
"That bad huh?" asked the soldier "well hell I like em. So where's the other contestant?"  
  
"There she is" muttered Guhara "that's my wife"  
  
"Her?" replied the soldier "you are one lucky guy! She sure is pretty"  
  
"If a little uncontrollable" replied Guhara with a sigh  
  
Meru seemingly kicked onto the arena fumbled about in the sand. Quickly she stould up and looked back to the waiting room. From above Guhara saw her hammer being thrown to her from off stage. It landed in the sand and she picked it up quite grumpy and flustered. The crowed laugthed and Meru looked angrily back at them. She shook her fist and turned toward her opponent.  
  
It was a strong man with bulging muscles. He had a big sword which he was hitting against the floor flinging the sand from side to side.  
  
"Finnaly you got here!" he said hushed under the crowds cheering "after I bat you once with the sword hilt, just give in okay and pretend it never happened!"  
  
"Are you kidding!" exclaimed Meru pointing her hammer foward "I'm gonna take you down!"  
  
The warrior smiled and readied himself.  
  
"Let's go!" he murmered  
  
The warrior quickly leapt forward and swung a wide arc. But Meru was not there. He felt a tap on the soldier and turned to be met with a light but strong punch in the face. Meru almost split her knuckle doing it. The man fell to the ground with a bleeding nose. Meru celebrated and started to dance arround the arena.  
  
"Hey!" shouted her opponent over the laugthter from the audience "I'm not done yet! I'm not going to fall to some pretty freak like you"  
  
Guhara cothered his eyes with his hand. If the winglys ever, found out about this he would be the laugthing stock of his people for years to come.  
  
The warrior charged forward and used several strokes this time, hoping to shred his enemy into several pieces. Each swing missed and hit thin air. Each time Meru seemed to just get passed him and he felt a hard blow to the back and fell to the ground. Quickly Meru picked up the great sword which was too heavy for her to use and dragged it away by the hilt from the fallen warrior.  
  
"There!" exclaimed Meru "now do I win? Or shall I force you to kiss my boots!"  
  
The hero backed off to the amusement of the audience and Meru pointed of stage gripping her hammer. The hero sulked off and the audience laugthed scorfully at the defeated warrior.  
  
"I'll get you!" muttered the warrior skuttling of the arena.  
  
"So, who's next?" asked Meru  
  
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Albert walked along the short corridoor to his bedroom. He found Emile looking out of the window to the lands of Serdio. Slowly she turned and Albert felt his heart jump in his mouth. She was so beutifull, the sunlight glistened through her hair.  
  
"Albert! You've come back! What was all that long meating about?" quickly she ran over to the prince and hugged him and swung arround until Albert put her down.  
  
"Hush! Everythings going to be ok. There's just a few problems at the moment that need to be sorted out, that's all"  
  
"But Albert, you've been away in Tiberoa so long diplomating with the traders gild! Surely everythings going to be ok now?"  
  
Her red dress moved silkily from side to side. Albert felt a pain in his heart that he would have to tell her... that he needed to go again.  
  
"I'm afraid" muttered Albert walking over to a cabinit by the wall "it's going to be more serious than that. Albert carefully moved the glass shutter aside and withdrew a long spear, the finest through out the lands he had ever found.  
  
"Albert?" muttered Emile  
  
Slowly he walked over to the double bed which sat in the centre of the room and moved a pillow aside. He carefully took out a green gem and looked at in the sunlight.  
  
"It has been ahwile" wispered Albert looking at the stone which reflected light from the sun. He seemed to lose himself for a second and be trapped inside the stone, his mind a prisoner.  
  
"But Albert! You haven't touched that since..."  
  
"Yes" replied Albert "I am going to have to go away again. Can you forgive me?"  
  
Emile turned away her dress moving with her and still when she stopped. She rested her hands on the window sill and looked out across the land. Emile looked out to seek comfort from the news and she did, but even so she felt a tear she didn't want come to her face.  
  
"I... shall wait for you always, my love" she said looking far away. Albert didn't hear the sob in her voice but Emile did. She felt obtrusive and silly for crying over somthing so small.  
  
"When I am done" sighed Albert "I shall return so fast! That the Jade dragon cannot keep up! Untill then, think of me, and I shall think of you! I love you"  
  
"I love you to" replied Emile softly "you must go"  
  
"I think it would be better if no one knows I have left. You must take over while I am away as the queen. In your strong wisdom I'm sure you can rule much better than I ever can"  
  
"I hope that is true" replied Emile  
  
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	2. Makata of the red eyed dragon

Chapter 2: Makata of the red-eyed dragon  
  
"How should we get there?" asked Dart as they walked through the long cave.  
  
Loyd seemed to ignore him. He looked around slowly from side to side.  
  
"We should fly" replied Loyd slowly.  
  
"Fly? All the way there? That would be crazy for me in dragoon form!"  
  
Loyd suddenly stopped and turned to Dart  
  
"How much do you love this girl?"  
  
Dart faltered and looked at the ground. He looked up  
  
"With more than words can express" he muttered  
  
"Well, then. If you have to fly, then fly you must. The longer you fly for the better you will get at it. I found that fighting you inexperienced dragoons was too easy for me yet too hard. You had the courage, and the brains to beat me but you seemed to know nothing about training yourself to new limits. When I had the divine dragoon spirit at first I had to fight for my life to maintain the power which coursed through me, but I succeeded, I let the divine dragon know who was boss. I controlled it! The power was all mine, but still it willed against me. Even though I hated transforming ever since and that I knew every time it would be a battle with my self I did it as often as possible. For I knew that with practise I would become much better. I became better, I improved far quicker than any of you. In fact so much that I maintained the power for the whole battle and after. I was almost driven mad on the ice track but I pulled through, Melbu finished me there, but the angel boots helped me yet again"  
  
"Why are you telling me all this?" asked Dart as they crossed over a thin rock bridge  
  
"Because I know that you can reach a level that I cannot. I would like to see that, since no one ever has with the divine dragoon. We must hurry and get out of these caves"  
  
"What's that noise?" whispered Dart suddenly holding a hand in a gesture of quiet.  
  
"What noise?" replied Loyd undisturbed  
  
"I don't know"  
  
Slowly Dart took out his dragoon spirit. It glowed and hummed to it 'self. Dart moved it around slowly, the sound grew louder as he moved it to his left.  
  
"It is over there!" pointed Loyd. A small expanding crack lay across a rocky wall. Across the bridge a small light came from inside of moving water.  
  
"What could it be?" asked Dart looking at Loyd. Loyd slowly took out his dark spirit, it began to glow with a dark aura.  
  
"For bad of for good, it shouldn't matter too much" whispered Loyd "I have mastered my dark summoning spell already, and some others. I don't like the idear however of fighting in a cramped space. It's up to you Dart, you were always the leader of the dragoons of this decade, and you are the leader now. Should we go?"  
  
"But, Shana" muttered Dart "I guess, perhaps a quick peek. If we don't meet it now it will probably meet us later"  
  
"Let's go" muttered Loyd. The two quickly hopped over the end of the bridge and walked quickly towards the crack. As they got nearer a bright light started to shine out of the crack. It was a bright white light. Dart walked in followed slowly by Loyd. There was only room for one abreast.  
  
The passage lead into a wide new cavern. Darkness filled every crack except for light which emanated from a ring of water in the centre. A space of land was in the centre and on it was  
  
"Shana!" exclaimed Dart and tried to run forward but Loyd grabbed him on the shoulder and holstered him back quickly.  
  
"Wherever Shana is" muttered Loyd "winglies will be there to"  
  
Shana lay there, her arms wrapped around her. Slowly she got up and looked across the room. It was a dark, dark room, the only light source was the strange water ring in the centre. It could quite easily be a barrier, but it could quite easily be a trap. Loyd being a wingly of a high age, magic and dexterity and most good things (I could go on) realised there was something else in the room. It seemed almost too easy to find the direct person they were looking for beneath their noses.  
  
In fact, Loyd went as far as to disbelieve it completely. His magical sense felt also something else in the darkness. A strong warm power, stretching back into the shadows. The cave must have been very long for Loyd felt the urgency as a faint shimmer. Perhaps a Virage of some kind?  
  
"Dart!" she called "Dart, I'm scared. Please, they have left me in an enchanted circle, only you can brake the spell. Walk through the ring!"  
  
Dart looked to Loyd slowly. Loyd looked back at him his blue eyes glimmering in the low cave light.  
  
"What are you waiting for Dart!" called Shana "help me!"  
  
Loyd quickly outstretched a hand and a fireball leapt towards the undefended girl. Shana shrieked and there was a flash of fire and light as the centre of the circle was filled with fire. Dart gasped at Loyd with a indescribable look. It was seconds away from Dart about to draw his sword on Loyd but Loyd calmly held up his hand smoking.  
  
"That was the most perfetic attempt at a magical image I have ever seen. So, who is the culprit behind this stain on the face of magic!" called Loyd with a horribly unfearing voice. The calmness seemed to bypass everything with a unseen force of knowledge and power. Dart admired him greatly for it.  
  
Shana suddenly landed with a quiet drop as if she had taken a single footstep. Quickly she took out an arrow in front of the ring and fired it at Dart's head. Dart smacked it away with the back of his hand, it scattered to the floor down the cave.  
  
"Give up yet?" muttered Loyd taking a step forward. Slowly he unsheathed his sword and pointed it forward. Shana took out a long broard sword which was ludicrously too big for her to hold and ran screaming towards Loyd. She swung it with immense skill and daring and used several blow but Loyd held her off with one sword arm. It took about six clashes until Loyd's sword held hers to the ground. Quickly the blue sword Loyd used struck up with immense force and impaled Shana. No blood, she just disappeared.  
  
Loyd had stood still the whole fight except for his arm. And plus he had come away unscaved, he calmly walked over the spot where Shana would have laid and walked forward.  
  
"Show your self fowl mage" he exclaimed.  
  
Slowly a figure immerged from the shadow walking towards them around the ring. Beyond the ring of water there seemed only darkness. Anything beyond was hidden from view. The only sound, was the faint movement of rushing water from outside.  
  
"Makata!" said Loyd turning away to Dart "I should have known I would have had to put up with you some time"  
  
"Brother!" exclaimed the female wingly walking forward "how can you turn your back on me even now!"  
  
"Brother?" stated Dart amused folding his arms  
  
"Yes," replied Loyd slowly turning back "this perfetic wretch is my sister. She likes her magic tricks, but I know how far they go"  
  
The wingly was gaspingly pretty, her perfect shape seemed to move with such grace. Her blue eyes and long streaming silver hair only enhanced her beauty. She looked at Loyd with pleading eyes. She had red armour which descended in a small dress shape at her legs stopping at her knees.  
  
"Loyd!" she continued "Why don't you come back to the fortress! Together with the other winglies we can re-control the humans. We can use their weapons of old against them!"  
  
"Not with a bumbling fool like you" returned Loyd "Faust would role in his grave. I hate you and everything you stand for!"  
  
Dart looked at Loyd swiftly with surprise. This didn't seem like brother and sister talk.  
  
"Loyd!" muttered the wingly girl with sadness in her eyes.  
  
"If there's nothing more to be said, my friend and I have an appointment to achieve. And that is stopping you people. You winglys are far too proud for my liking. I used to respect you but now I cannot bring my self to do that. I would rather not have to draw your blood"  
  
The wingly looked at the floor with sadness in her eyes. Dart felt sorry for her but Loyd as always was not sparing. Something long ago had distanced him with his people. Slowly he turned and gestured Dart to go. They started to walk away to the cave entrance. Dart watched his back just in case.  
  
Dart was right. But not to watch his back, the crack at the entrance of the cave suddenly crumbled as a lightning bolt struck it. Rubble and rocks fell and the three were trapped together alone, or were they.  
  
Loyd turned around with fire in his eye.  
  
"So this is what you want Makata, an early death!"  
  
"Don't call me that bro! CALL ME SISTER!! Like you used to!" she shouted  
  
Dart looked at the ceiling a little embarrassed. He was tempted to look the other way but then again he was in a very dangerous situation. Instead he decided to go on the verbal offensive before Loyd went into another of his long and droning speeches. He seemed almost as bad as Albert.  
  
"Ok wingly, what do you want. You have wasted far too much of are time" paced Dart folding his arms. He wasn't really so confident but he knew it looked good for prestige and to dullen the enemies spirits. The other reason was more complicated, but to simplify, it was very hard not to look like an idiot when standing next to Loyd.  
  
"Why are you keeping us here?" continued Dart  
  
"The winglys sent me all by my self to conquer Serdio. The raid on your village was just to destroy you and capture the moon child. But it looks like on my little rest in these caves I found bigger fish to fry. You spent most of your time talking. But I assure you Dart, you will not leave here alive. Loyd might if he apologises to me"  
  
"I don't like the sound of her confidence" said Loyd to Dart aside "what makes you so bold?"  
  
"Listen!" she whispered sending a chill down Dart's spine.  
  
Dart listened to the air. He began to notice something, not quite right, a breathing noise.  
  
"It's ok Fido, you can come out now" whispered Makata to the shadows. Something moved way back in the depths of the darkness, completely hidden by the lack of light. Even so Dart felt the ground shudder. It gradually became a sound and the ground shook more as it approached. A giant shape appeared in the darkness.  
  
As the gleaming water brightened it, the shape became understandable. A dragon, a red dragon.  
  
"The red eyed dragon!?" exclaimed Dart struggling to stand up under the force of the dragon's quaking stomps. Fear spread over him like a disease. It was rumoured that fear of dragons is not purely psychological, apparently a certain magical element in the dragon it 'self also adds to the discomfort.  
  
"Yes, you know him. I just call him Fido" said Makata leaning back. The dragon reeled its head from side to side staring at the intruders with an intense dislike. "I doubt this is the dragon you thought of though"  
  
"We'll take that thing and shove it down your blubbering mouth Makata!" shouted Loyd and took out the dark dragoon spirit. Dart did the same and various flashes of light lightened the dark cave. Suddenly Makata took out her own stone, the red-eyed stone. It glowed for her and she transformed.  
  
"No way!" exclaimed Dart watching from his own transformation. Fire surrounded her and she glowed red as wings drew back light green from her shoulders. Compared to the others Dart's transformation to the divine dragoon was slow and taxing. Makata was already and Loyd's eyes were set on the dragon.  
  
"How else did you expect me to control dragons? Brace yourself Fido, this is going to be a tough battle, go for the big one!"  
  
"Fido" lunged forward with full force and slammed the unprepared transforming dart straight into the rock face behind him. There was a bone cracking slam and Dart was pushed into a newly made hole in the wall.  
  
"There goes your perfetic human friend Loyd, now will you join us?"  
  
"Dart!" shouted Loyd. The dragon continued to attack Dart in the rock maiming and scratching away. Loyd started to fly over to stop the dragon but Makaya stopped him getting in the way with a clashing sword. It glowed red with fire.  
  
Loyd jumped back into the air and prepared himself.  
  
"As you wish!" he shouted and charged flying towards the wingly. He began swiping rampantly with his dark sword and Makaya was constantly having to block and retreat. She had no hope of beating Loyd in a sword duel and she knew. Loyd was the best swords artist the winglys had ever trained and that basically meant the best in the world. The strokes were multi and in several places, there was no chance to attack. The attacks were also defensive and when she tried to attack she yelped in pain as the sword pierced her flesh.  
  
Suddenly Loyd was knocked back in a burst of flames, Makaya had cast flame shot on him and it stung. Quickly he hopped up and prepared to charge back. Just as he did this there was an explosion from the rock wall. The hole opened back and Dart was cast outside being pushed back by a beam of light. The dragon however met the full thrust of the forward force of the spell and was thrust back in pain.  
  
Outside of the cave Dart knelt down in dragoon form, blood trickling down his face. Hurryingly he took out a healing potion Loyd had given him, the only out of breath words he could mutter were  
  
"Basted…….. Caught me…. Off …. Guard!"  
  
The dragon buster glowed with fury at the cheating of battle rules. Dart leapt forward and smashed a knew hole through the rock wall a little right to the other. He flew forward catching a glimpse of the battle Loyd was having to face. Fido charged towards him and the two met in an explosion as the dragon wailed and furiously beat Dart back with its wings. The dragon buster had drove through and pierced a great wound on the dragon which would stay as a scar for ever more.  
  
Loyd had his own magic as well. He cast bolts of fire a little afraid to cast the dragoon magic in case it caused a cave in. Dart however seemed less worried blasting beams of energy mostly missing the dragon. He was weakening the cavern rooftop immensely.  
  
"Dam you Loyd, you were always too good for your own good!" shouted Makata retreating further back.  
  
"That somehow doesn't work, the way you said that" replied Loyd "perhaps you should work on your losing speeches a little better next time I beat you"  
  
"Oh shut up!" replied Makata angrily and leapt forward with a blow which would have decapitated him if he hadn't simply moved aside. Makata felt a blow to the head and lowered in height. Loyd had hit her with the sword hilt.  
  
"You know, you leave your self way to open to a counter attack. Next time I might use the blade" smirked Loyd hovering back.  
  
"Final!…….Burst!" shouted Makata and charged in a spiral of flame towards Loyd.  
  
Loyd only just escaped the movement. Sure he was fast but he hadn't expected that sudden incredible speed. He cursed himself for talking too much. Deep down, Loyd didn't really want to kill his sister, he hated her but something still stopped him. Perhaps a once lost love for her, he knew that if Dart finished the dragon quickly then he would make mince meet of Makata with the dragon buster. One cut sends shivers down your body paralysing you for a few seconds, it pierces through the magical armour easily and a direct blow almost always kills.  
  
Loyd hardened his heart suddenly. He realised, he would have to kill her. She didn't matter anymore anyway, she was trying to kill him, why not return the favour. Prove to him self he could do it, the ultimate test. Quickly he jumped forward and cast a spell.  
  
"Summon Dark dragon!" he called over the battle. Dart glanced to his left and saw Loyd's move. Darkness flashed wildly in Loyd's eyes as he shouted the words. His hand stretched forward and he reached back into the darkness.  
  
The spirit of the dark dragon appeared and started to fly towards Makata at incredible speed. It was preparing its deadly attack. It was black and sleek, meant for speed, it was at home in the darkness of the cavern. Makata turned to see it coming and knew she didn't have time to escape. Her final burst had meant to hit her target while Loyd was talking, now she would pay the price for missing.  
  
"Help! Fido!" she screamed  
  
Fido quickly turned from Dart who was watching the battle. Dart quickly picked up on what was going on and chased after the dragon. The red eyed dragon moved as fast as it could to catch up with the magical image. The power in the spell was immense. Fido going as fast as he could caught up with the dark dragon on a side slam. He knocked the dark dragon out of the way and the move faltered and the image disappeared. The red eyed dragon turned to face Loyd in front of Makata. Makata smiled seeing Loyd against uneven odds.  
  
"Dam!" muttered Loyd. But a second later Dart caught up and slammed into the dragon the dragon buster first. As before there was a explosion and sparks flew out and pieces of dragon flesh. Dart hit again and again and pieces flew high and landed everywhere. Makata screamed out in sorrow. It was obvious to all that the red eyed dragon wasn't going to survive. Dart felt a brief sorrow in his heart, long ago he had been the red dragoon.  
  
"Give it up Makata" shouted Loyd as the dragon plummeted down to the cave floor with a crash. Dart continued in a frenzy not quite sure whether it was dead or not. He continued hacking away like a mad piranha fish. "You're finished and your dragon, and you've trapped your self in!"  
  
"How dare you be so certain of my down fall, and how dare you kill Fido! Dam you! Dam you both! I'll get you for this!" quickly she flew up high and did a spin.  
  
"Final!….. Burst!" she screamed out and plummeted directly upwards. She slammed into the rock ceiling and caused a cave in. She tunnelled up presumably to the surface the fire melting away the rocks. The impact sent rocks flying down below landing into the water pool with a splosh.  
  
Rocks started to rain down on the two dragoons left behind. Dust started to fill the cave. Dart only stopped hacking at the dragon when a rock hit him on the head, luckily a small one. It didn't hurt much with the power of the dragon but it woke him up and made him realise that the red eyed dragon had paid far more than the amount of damage it had caused him.  
  
"We need to get out of here now!" shouted Loyd over the noise "Unless you want to be buried alive!"  
  
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Albert rode swiftly along the path to Seles. He would have to cross mountains to get there, but that wouldn't matter, or… he could go through the lime stone caves he had heard Lavitz talk about. Apparently Lavitz when he was alive had some not very nice experiences with a giant snake. Albert didn't particularly want a repetition of this.  
  
Trees and greenery whirled past as the white horse sped on. Once the people back in the castle found out There would be an awful chaos until Emile decided the time was right to explain to everyone where their king had gone to.  
  
Albert looked down at the path which sped past at an alarming rate. It made his eyes giddy so he stopped and concentrated on ahead of him. He had rode for quite some time now hoping to leave the Serdians behind in case they sent out search parties a little quicker than he'd expected.  
  
Suddenly Albert felt silly. He a king had just deserted his castle and people to chase the enemy all by himself. What kind of king would do that? The king of Tiberoa certainly wouldn't.  
  
Somehow Albert felt it was crucial he hurried though. The other soldiers would only slow him down. Albert was faster alone, he knew that and secretly liked it. The day was bright and the sun shone, and if circumstances had been different Albert could have been having a relaxing day out doors back at the castle. But somehow things as usual had been ruined by perhaps the usual fact that it was hard to be a dragoon and a king at the same time. He felt him self wondering what had happened to the other dragoons, Haschal, Dart, Meru, Kongal, Miranda and the previous dragoon Shana.  
  
He missed them all, and the memory of their passionate spirits filled his heart and he was content. For he knew for sure then that he was doing the right thing again.  
  
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Meru waited impatiently for the next match to start. It was to be the final match to decide who the winner of the tournament was. She felt fairly confident as every other fighter had fallen to her immense skill and training. It seemed she wouldn't need the items, the most hurt she had become was from her big toe when she had landed slightly wrong doing a flip over someone's head which really didn't hurt all that m  
  
"Even so it hurts!" exclaimed Meru to one of her failed opponents.  
  
"It looks like a women's always gonna be women. Listen lady you may be pretty good with that hammer of yours but your gonna end up scrubbing dishes eventually" said another of the fallen warriors. Each had bandages in several places of there body. This particular one was about to have another.  
  
There was a loud smack and the warrior fell to the ground his nose bleeding.  
  
"Serves you right!" said Meru standing up quickly "Ow my toe!" exclaimed Meru cringing as her toe bent too fast.  
  
"You're on now I think!" muttered the bored soldier she had been talking to. He sat there his head in his hands worrying about the poor warrior with the bleeding nose.  
  
"Oh, am I?" replied Meru and quickly ran to the entrance. Yet again her opponent was already waiting for her when she got there. It was a slim man with a thin bladed long sword. He was wearing blue with a red belt around his waist. He was a handsome young human with dark black hair.  
  
"You keep me waiting Mademoiselle" he muttered sharpening his sword.  
  
"Yeah, sorry about that" replied Meru folding her arms behind her head "I've sprained my toe!"  
  
"Is that going to give you any serious physical disabilities?" asked the man taking up his sword.  
  
"Nah, I don't think so" she replied slowly.  
  
"Ah good" replied the man "We'll have a clear clean fight then. I'll let you make the first move"  
  
"Hey!" replied Meru "I'm not falling for that one! You make the first move. People who make the first move always lose!"  
  
"Well I'm not gonna move" replied the man  
  
"Well neither am I!" replied Meru  
  
Guhara slapped his hands over his head in frustration. Watching from the balcony he somehow wished he still had the piece of lizard to frow at Meru's head.  
  
"Get moving!" shouted the crowd aggravatingly. The cheering continued until it subsided into a "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" continually  
  
"Alright" replied the man "Let's make a deal. We'll both take the first stroke together!"  
  
"Ok" replied Meru.  
  
Both leapt forward and Meru swung her hammer. However the man backed off and counter attacked.  
  
"Cheat!" shouted Meru. The sword nicked Meru's arm and she clutched in pain backing off. Blood stained her pretty blue clothing which made her even more cross.  
  
The man leapt forward this time on the offensive start and Meru carefully blocked with her hammer. Losing balance as she tried to retreat the sword hit the hammer off guard and it was sent skidding along the floor. The man quickly ran over and picked it up as Meru clutched her arm in pain.  
  
"Meru!" called Guhara "Are you going to be ok?"  
  
"I take it you surrender?" said the man pointing both weapons towards her.  
  
Meru looked around her in aggravating silence. She couldn't lose, this was the last battle; she had to win somehow. And anyway, he was the bad guy, he cheated.  
  
"No way!" shouted Meru.  
  
"Fine" replied the man and charged towards her. Meru sidestepped and started to run along the walls of the arena. The man began to chase after her but she was ever the faster one. The crowd began to laugh at the scene pointing at Meru who was running as fast as she could away. This carried on for several laps and the audience laughed more and more and started to point. Eventually Meru got worried that she would lose her breath and stopped.  
  
"I've got to settle this" thought Meru abruptly turning around. Quickly she raised her fists, the man looked forward with surprise at her sudden resistance. Concentrating on his target the man ran forward to attack her with both weapons but suddenly slipped up. His foot had lost its holding on something green and slimy dipped in a yellow source. Whatever it was had bee thrown onto the track by one of the audience. Guhara laughed under his muffling hand.  
  
Quickly Meru leapt forward and recovered her weapon.  
  
The man got up slowly picking up his sword. What met his face was Meru patting her hammer into her left hand with a chill smile that would beat the divine dragon (if it could smile) when it ruined the Crystal palace in Demingrad.  
  
The man with an embarrassed smile held his hands to the side and backed off. Quickly Meru leapt forward with murder in her eyes.  
  
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Dart lay exhausted next to Loyd. The hole Makata had left was barely big enough for the divine dragoon to get through. And now Makata was gone, but at least her dragon was dead, how she managed to get it was beyond Dart completely.  
  
"I'm going to kill her" muttered Loyd over and over again to the thin air.  
  
The grass was sweet upon which the two were resting but braking out of the cave had taken most out of them even Loyd. Loyd was still getting used to his new spirit though he didn't want to say it.  
  
The sun stung Dart's poor eyes and he turned his head to look at the horizon. It was a beautiful blue and the sweet fresh air refreshed him greatly. Clouds a fluffy white moved slowly across the sky. Such a fragile little world, designed to be destroyed easily by the creator Soa. What would happen now that was not so? Would everyone just not exist? Or had Soa planned this all along. Dart knew quite a bit about the history of the winglys now but he knew next to nothing about the creator Soa. He didn't even know how people knew he was called Soa. Perhaps he was just made up.  
  
Gradually Dart got up. He felt proud to be the one to do that for a change. Usually it was others who told him to get up but this time he would have the pleasure of asking Loyd to get up.  
  
"I think we're going to need to move soon Loyd, if we're to rescue Shana"  
  
Loyd turned his head in the opposite direction.  
  
Dart gave up and walked down the hill in search of water. Obviously telling people what to do wasn't his speciality, especially with someone like Loyd. He had decided what to do inside the Limestone caves as they had approached Loyd's sister. Loyd had even asked him what they should do. Perhaps it was starting to get to Dart's head.  
  
After a bit of looking around Dart found a small stream which flowed swiftly through the small forest. He washed his face and drank water from it, it tasted fresh. It must have come from the caves here. He took out his water bottle and took of the top. There was water inside already from the caves. Dart hit himself on the head and started to walk back up the hill.  
  
"Why on earth didn't I remember!?"  
  
As the top came in sight he saw that Loyd had gotten up and was walking up and down.  
  
"Is there any point chasing her?" asked Dart as Loyd noticed him  
  
"No" replied Loyd "She's too far away already"  
  
Dart sat down on a flat grey stone.  
  
"What if she attacks Bale like she said she was supposed to?"  
  
"Bale's got a dragoon if I remember correctly, that green person with the blond hair. He can deal with her. You've got bigger fish to fry"  
  
"Yeah but still he might need are help" replied Dart  
  
"He shouldn't" said Loyd quickly and turning around "He's a king. He should protect his country. That's his job, it's out of your hands unless it affects things on a grander scale. I doubt one dragoon can take on every soldier in Dale and the jade dragoon. I'm more interested in how my sister got her dragon. According to legend the red eyed dragons were supposed to have become extinct when they attacked the wingly capital Kaddessa along with the previous dragoons. Either the legend is wrong or she has found a way to bring them back which I doubt"  
  
Dart started to think about it carefully. It didn't really make much sense.  
  
"I remember fighting two dragons. The jade dragon and the blue sea dragon. Were they always alive?" asked Dart suspiciously  
  
"They shouldn't have been" replied Loyd "Impostor Diaz proved me wrong on that one like the rest of my wingly legends he had a way of making me believe"  
  
"It seems crazy" said Dart slowly "but if the winglys have found a way to bring back dragons I think we should know about it. A flock of dragons and Virage doesn't sound a good idear to me to have to try and ward off"  
  
Loyd fround. "I guess we better get going then"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
Albert's horse was getting pretty tired. He gave it some of the food he had brought with him and sat down. It was getting on and Albert realised he had left without lunch. The way to Seles however was way ahead and through the lime stone caves. He would have to push on and also, find food for himself along the way. He found he wasn't very good at that when he tried.  
  
He would rest here for a bit at least. He searched in his bag for the previsions he had taken with him. A healing fog, a sun rapsody potion, several things ideal for battle but useless for filling a hungry tum.  
  
Looking through the bag he found some sweet bread made into a sandwich of cheddar.  
  
"Oh Emile" he muttered "you shouldn't have  
  
The sky was starting to darken as he looked up. It seemed only daylight when he had sat down. Perhaps it had been.  
  
He should have got some sleep but really he just felt like staying away for a bit. And anyway he didn't really have much to sleep on. There was so little in the way of towns on the way to Seles and the south of Serdio. Perhaps there should have been. Albert began to think about it.  
  
Perhaps a outpost of some kind, if a route could be found that worked then the pass from Seles to Bale would be a lot quicker. Perhaps in the caves themselves. It would certainly make the stone and gold mines west of there have a good place to store material on the way to Bale. It would probably be quite a good idear. Albert couldn't think why nobody had thought of it before. But of course, in those old times that giant snake roamed the cave, that would put plans right out of the window.  
  
As Albert sat on the soft ground he caught a faint glimmer from his jade spirit. Suddenly it started glowing. Suddenly he heard a rustling in the bushes. Quickly he stood up and picked up his quality spear. Leaves flew apart as a creature jumped out.  
  
"If that was supposed to be a surprise it failed" said Albert sardonically  
  
What met his eyes was a female wingly (he knew straight away from the platinum hair) with red armour. She looked tired and she was bleeding from several wounds.  
  
"Are you ok?" asked Albert after awhile of waiting  
  
She fell over onto the ground face down. Albert quickly walked over to her and turned her over.  
  
"What the heck happened to you?" he murmured. At this rate he would have to head back, Dart was his friend but he couldn't just desert a dieing person. His thoughts ravaged his memory for a solution. Quickly he lifted her carefully up into his arms. She was heavy with the armour. He put her carefully onto his horse and tied her face down, he then signalled back down the road towards Bale.  
  
The horse looked at him once and then again. After the 3rd point it got the message and started to gallop back towards Bale. If the search parties were out they would probably find it. That was all he could really do for the wingly girl. He suddenly realised that he was left out there miles from civilization, trapped without transport or food.  
  
That just cheered Albert up no end and he sat with a gloomy face. This wasn't like the old dragoon times, he had always someone to talk to and something to do when he was with the others.  
  
He would need to get to the limestone caves now really or face a night out in the open. But how could he do that? He began to think.  
  
"I could fly as a dragoon" muttered Albert. But that was really just for battling, or was it? It would make much more sense to fly rather than walk all the way there. He could only fly for a short amount of time however. He would just have to cope, if he flew fast, and the wind favoured him (which for some reason always seemed to do so) then he could get there quite quickly indeed.  
  
Suddenly he sat up and looked at the jade spirit. It hummed softly. He looked back in the direction of Bale.  
  
"What?" said Albert suddenly. He looked slowly and deeply into the jade spirit "Are you telling me that that wingly was a dragoon?" it shone brighter as if with a nod. Albert still didn't trust it that much. After all he hadn't had it that long, and dragoon spirits had a long history of trading owners in silly battles. But then again that was part of the point, the other two dragon spirits had gone missing in a silly battle. One in which the dragoon saved the world from destruction.  
  
He had not thought about it when the wingly was in front of him though he certainly should have thought about it. It annoyed him that he hadn't. However at the moment he had to get to the limestone caves, and then check Seles. He would deal with the wingly later and find out where she got her dragon spirit. Or maybe the jade spirit was signalling for something up ahead. He looked down at his spirit. It flashed brightly as if nodding. At that point he putts it back in his pocket and decided not to put his trust in stones.  
  
What on earth was the likelihood that in the whole world he a dragoon would meet a dragoon going past him after several years and it is a new dragoon and at the same time have a dragoon/dragon in front of him and for him to not know who any of them were? Perhaps the stone was playing with him, perhaps he was just a puppet in some major scheme. That line sounded suddenly familiar.  
  
Looking up he realised it was getting to dark for comfort. In darkness the monsters are more ready to attack their victims, though that wasn't much of a threat. Albert still didn't like the idear all the same. Quickly he took out the spirit.  
  
"Here goes nothing" he murmured and took off quickly shining green as the transformation was complete. Albert soured high and suddenly realised as he looked down on the earth that he was doing the one thing people dream happily of doing most. Flying, the world was so different. The wind blew across his tired eyes refreshing them anew and he looked first down to the dark green slopes below him to the bright stars above him.  
  
His hair blew back as he soured high and came down and up sweeping the skies. He was messing about and he felt silly, but then again he wasn't a king now, he was a dragoon. Dragoons were aloud to have fun. Quickly he sped on up the slope towards the mountains over the lime stone caves. He scanned the grassy floor looking for a entrance into them.  
  
Suddenly something caught his eye. Below him was a great big hole with scorch marks everywhere. The area was still smoking so the blast couldn't have been more than since morning.  
  
"What on earth happened here?" asked Albert to himself. Already the dragoon spirit was starting to way Albert down. He was getting tired. It was as if some great beast had smashed its way out of the earth it's self to escape.  
  
Quickly he sped on up the slope and the air started to become thicker. Down below he saw what he needed, a entrance to the caves. It wasn't the one he had been told about but perhaps it would branch onto the right path. Now his bones ached through the power and he gradually lowered himself down towards the ground.  
  
His feet hit the ground gently and he felt a gentle breeze hit his face. It was dark in the small passage. Light surrounded him and he took his normal form, looking back he could see the scorched earth. Really however he didn't want to dawdle sight seeing.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
The man lay beaten before Meru and she rejoiced while people from off the arena ran on with a stretcher and took the poor man away. He was not more than a bloody mass and would need much treatment before he would ever fight again. Meru felt he deserved it for being such a cheat, the cut on her arm stung and her toe ached even more than before.  
  
Eventually she was called back on again after awhile and the places were decided. Naturally she came first. Guhara looked happy from above and slightly relived that he wouldn't have to put up with a up set Meru. But then again he hadn't really expected her to lose.  
  
The prise was for winning was 10000 g, enough to live on for quite a while. Somehow Guhara felt that he and Meru wouldn't be settling down for a long time. Not while the dragoon side of Meru existed. He sighed slowly. If only she had been a normal wingly they would have settled down in the forest ages ago. But no, he had to have chose the odd card, "oh well" muttered Guhara. He didn't really mind anyhow, it was kind of fun trecking around the world.  
  
Little did they know while they were enjoying their time in Lohan that the world around them was going to pot. 


	3. Death of a dragoon

After following the mountain range for quite some time Dart had become too tired to carry on. He had had to stop but he had flown for longer than he ever had before. The strain was too much and Loyd had admitted that  
  
even he was a little tired. Dart couldn't understand how the wingly managed  
  
it so easily. He seemed to just constantly want to transform all the time like he was addicted to the stone. Dart certainly didn't feel like that, if  
  
he carried on like this he would turn insane, probably enough to satisfy all the dragoon spirits for several years. They had stopped just outside the mountain range and prepared to start a fire. After all it was very late, but when they prepared to land suddenly Loyd ushered him back. He had evidently seen something ahead of him. It was such a nice day and all Dart wanted to do was sleep, but he was  
  
driven on by the fact that Shana was not accounted for. "What is it?" whispered Dart as they landed behind some trees "There's a magical presence up ahead" muttered Loyd as if it were an every day thing to get these senses "Just hide the dragon spirit from sight before it starts to glow!" "Oh Loyd" complained Dart "I get the feeling every time you get these magical presence feelings, there's gonna be some huge beast up ahead waiting to kill us with all the dragoons and dragons waiting for us! And some fiend from hell or something. Do you always have to get these feelings?" "Quite likely" replied Loyd "anyway it's not surprising, most of the magic in the world was refined by the winglies and put into their weapons of war, they were always preparing for a battle with the god of destruction. I'm not surprised we got some sense of magic, unlike some people" "There you go again, into a long historical speech, you're almost as bad as Rose used to be" he stopped a second a felt a sadness in his heart at the repetition of her name. Loyd quickly hushed him to silence (again much to annoy Dart). Through careful movements through the undergrowth the two crept up to the "presence". Dart wasn't very good at creeping but unknown to him Loyd had spell bound him to be able to walk quietly. Dart had not much knowledge of the magical arts except the dragoon spells. Slowly they came out of some bushes, lifting their heads to see.  
  
In front of them was a clearing, with a giant white thing. As Dart emerged Loyd ducked him down so, as the thing wouldn't see it. "Look" whispered Loyd pointing ahead. In the clearing were about three large tents, right near to the two dragoons was a huge super Virage. Its back was turned to the two dragoons, and it crippled their sight immensely. They were still near the mountains so that a long slope leading up to them could be seen to the left. Loyd memorised the area and noted that the large cliff face connected to the start of the mountain slope, he could see two small Virage around away from  
  
the tents. They hadn't noticed them luckily. Though it was very strange for  
  
this to happen. Virage were well known for sensing the powers of dragoons. What had happened to these ones? "What the hell is this?" whispered Dart under his breath. Loyd looked around, it was obviously a wingly camp, but whether Shana was in it or not was a mystery. Perhaps they would find Makata and have to face her off again. Looking around Loyd noticed two winglies turn the corner of the great brown super Virage. Quickly and silently he pushed Dart's head down again. Dart almost complained and gave them away but managed to stop him self before it was too late. The two winglies one slightly shorter than the other came around the corner and started to talk quietly. Both had not their wings glowing, but from their personalities Loyd believed that they were only soldiers. One of them spoke: "Look here Domos, if you want to quit then you should wait until we get back to Satavesti. To tell the truth I don't think that dragoon is going to attack us. Personally I think he was vaporised in the blast along with that wretched stone" "But aren't dragoon spirits supposed to be indestructible?" replied Domos pleadingly. It was hard to see them in the shade especially when you were looking through tiny slits in the bushes. Dart moved from side to side  
  
irritated, which annoyed Loyd no end. "Oh that's just rumours! People used to say that Super Virage were  
  
indestructible, and that dragoon took one down even as a human. If you ask me it was a lucky stroke, but he can't defeat all of us, you saw how short a time he was able to transform for. I don't know much about the mechanics of  
  
dragoons but if that's the maximum amount of time you can use them for then  
  
they're pretty flimsy things" "Waia, I don't care about who can kill who, I care about who can kill me! What if they find us? Don't you get it? Are leader is just using us as stall time to stop them. He knows he can't defeat them, so he needs the moon child to do whatever's necessary" "Hmm" murmured the other "I can see your point. I don't really want to die fighting a dragoon, hell I've got better things to do with my time, but still, the pay's good while we're still soldiers. The Virage would take them more time surely!" "No way!" replied the other more agitated "you saw that human in action!" "Yeah, it sounds pretty bad" sighed Domos looking at the ground "I know! If they turn up tomorrow then we two can just scuttle off quietly! Tamai would never know!" "Well, alright then. But if that mage finds out then we're in big  
  
trouble, he seems to know everything" Quietly the two walked back off to the tents talking quietly with one another. Dart quickly got up, "Well what are we waiting for Loyd? Let's go and take down those  
  
Virage. If it's as those winglies say then we can just go ahead and defeat the whole lot now" "No!" replied Loyd "we must not! It's that mage they were talking about, he's a professional not like my sister. I used to know him quite well, even liked his teachings in Satavesti. It's just that he's cast all manors of protection spells on those Virage. If we went up to them like this we'd be dogs meet. Let's wait hear until morning and if they move, we move,  
  
if they don't we move anyway. That ok with you?" Dart paused and looked out. He was really tempted. He could just have crept up behind the super Virage and cut of its head quickly and then gone for the others. But Loyd would be annoyed. "Yeah alright" replied Dart sulkily. The dragon buster was feeling especially light in Dart's hands that day. It was so much lighter than his broad sword had been. Dart preferred it so much since he had found  
  
it in the rubble, the only memory left of his father to him, and Rose. It wasn't really his type of sword that he had been trained with; he needed some experience with it, and training. It glowed faintly, later he went for  
  
a walk just so he could slice the air impatiently. Dart didn't like Virage particularly, he seemed to have a natural dislike of them. He hated the razor sharp hands of the small ones, those were incredibly annoying. Loyd wondered silently if he could dispel the magic around the  
  
Virage. He probably wouldn't be able to, and if he tried he would wake them  
  
up with the magic. He didn't really have much choice but just to wait. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- "Finally the lands of Serdio" muttered Haschal as they approached on the queen fury. The queen fury was a massive battle ship used  
  
by the country of Tiberoa. It was given to Albert as a wedding gift along with alliance with Tiberoa. Its finest days had been when it had tracked down as the story goes the evil demon Nemus and her pet dragon, which roamed the seas causing, havoc. Tails also mentioned the perilous encounter with the ghost ship. The captain of the queen fury told a very different story however from the one circulating. "Kongal like Serdio, it place where birds always sing" Kongal was presumably the last of an ancient race, the gigantos. The only other Gigantos the other live dragoons had seen was not real. Kongal had about an  
  
extra third of height on Haschal, and had tough dusty skin. He was immensely strong, and had on him tough armour, he used a big battle-axe which hung loosely by his waist. "You should fix your grammar" pointed out Haschal looking up at  
  
his rouge pupil. Haschal had dark black hair, which if he was not careful would probably soon turn grey. He was not too old however, a great fighter and also along with Kongal a dragoon. These were the last two, for the first time all dragoons had entered into the land of Serdio. Meru was in Lohan with her husband (without the slightest bit of knowledge about what was going on). Dart and Loyd were  
  
chasing the winglies who had captured Shana. Albert was looking for clues about what was happening, also he was looking for Dart, and hopefully he would find him in Seles. And Kongal and Haschal were approaching Kazas, the  
  
city of magic research. A dock had recently been built there, the grimy city was being transformed into a place of happiness. The skies were no longer dark, people no longer feared the purple monster Duel in the black castle who had been defeated long ago, they were content with getting on with their lives. "You no like how Kongal speak?" replied Kongal after a while. Haschal looked up into those white eyes. If there were any pupils there Haschal had never seen them. But sill Kongal looked down on Haschal with a double emotion. It  
  
was kind of scary face, yet it had a puppy dog texture to it. "Nah" replied Haschal "just forget about it Kongal, we all like  
  
how you speak just as we always have. Keep it the same, it would be so strange if you started talking properly" "Why you say we?" replied Kongal with a puzzled expression "Did I?" asked Haschal with a surprised look "Oh, it's just habit that's all. Whenever I've been on the queen fury I've always connected it with the dragoons and Dart, you knew what I meant. Ah, my aching bones, I wonder what all the commotion is about, I'll have to have a talk with Albert about why he wants us so suddenly" "Kongal not seen Albert or dragoons in long time, Kongal miss dragoons" "Yes" replied Haschal "so do I. I hardly ever got a real chance  
  
to cast my dragon spell, it's a real shame. Perhaps there will be someone I  
  
can summon it on this time?" "Kongal meant Dragoons, not dragons" "Oh dragoons!" laughed Haschal "I must be going death. I wouldn't be surprised after that explosion we had at the divine tree. I couldn't hear a thing for weeks! Do you remember when Dart transformed Divine dragoon? That was so shocking, I was so surprised it accepted him! He was even bigger than you, that reminds me" Kongal groaned and rested his head in his hands, leaning on the boat edge. It seemed that Haschal was going to talk for a long time. He stared out across the water to the black castle. It sure had changed since Kongal had been there last. Also last time he had been fighting against Haschal, this time the two were friends. It was a strange feeling. As he thought back Kongal remembered that fabulous armour he had once had on. It was absolutely brilliant, he wished he still had it. It was the best armour  
  
he had ever had, he missed that armour. As Haschal murmured on Kongal thought of it with a longing expression. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- Albert had been walking for quite awhile in the cave. The passages he was going through didn't seem anything like what Lavitz had described to him. They were long and not very bright at all. He could only faintly hear the rushing of water, quite likely he was in a completely different part of the mountains all together. The still stalactites were largely roofed all the way across the ceiling, Albert kept having the horrid feeling that every one he walked under would fall. He often passed several large ones, which were jammed, hard into the ground. That gave him the shivers and he wrapped his cloak tighter around him. As he carried on walking he kept now and again stepping on this leathery stuff like seaweed. It was a tough texture and very long, Albert didn't have a clue what it was, nor did he really care. All it mattered to him was that it was easy to walk on. This was a good thing really, the further he went into the cave, the more of this stuff he came across. It was not slippery like the rock, which he had almost fallen onto his back several times. Feeling around in the dark he had found a long crooked stick. He started to use it as a walking stick as he went through the cave paths. He didn't really know where he was going, but he was told that all the paths in the lime stone caves eventually led out because they were all formed by the springs which ran down hill. The path varied in how steep it was as well, sometimes Albert was sure that  
  
he would slip into some chasm or other. He did, and fell with a crash. Luckily he landed safely, though it killed his legs (not literally). He was  
  
used to falling down places, it was a thing which was taken for granted now  
  
more than anything else. His mind went back to those horrible deserts. He cursed him self for a fool and looked up. He certainly wasn't going to be able to climb back up, and he was too weak to dragoon transform. Plus he was sitting on that leathery stuff again. Quickly an idea struck him. He took up the stick in his hands and used a burn out on the tip. Immediately the stick started to burn just like a torch. Albert felt very pleased with himself for that one and looked around him. There was an entrance to another tunnel just away from him. He looked down to discover once and for all what the thing was he was standing on. It was brown and leathery and looked just like "Snake skin?" muttered Albert with a strong shiver going down his spine. As he looked around the cavern he noticed something which displeased him. There were all kinds of bones around the room, some were human. In the fall Albert had dropped his spear. Quickly he hurried over and found it stuck in a half eaten corpse of a Serdian soldier. Albert  
  
quickly wrenched it out with a noise like a hollow wet piece of wood being broken. "This does not bode well" muttered Albert. The fact that the body still had flesh on it was a fact that the poor person had been here only a few days before. Quickly Albert looked for another route out, but there was nowhere else to go but the passage. Reluctantly he started down it. The passage was filled with skin and bones more and more and Albert felt he was walking into death's arms. Obviously if it was a snake like the one's he had heard about it didn't swallow victims whole. Albert wondered what would happen if he encountered a snake. One day in the future, would a hero come here and find his corps? Probably,  
  
grave robbing did have a familiar air to Albert and dragoons. The stone would certainly find a knew owner. As he turned the next corner his heart jumped. There was a very long stretch of cavern. That wasn't the bad bit. All over the ground were hundreds of the giant snakes sleeping with soft purrs. His idea of a mountain pass suddenly seemed very far away, so also did his idea of staying alive. He could see light at the end of the cave, probably some of the lime  
  
water, or maybe even daylight. After he had built up enough courage he started forward trying to tip-toe amongst them. It was hard and like some sick persons fantasy of snakes and ladders come to life. Several times he moved his foot almost too  
  
late through the darkness and almost dropped the torch. The room was filled  
  
with the hissing of the snakes as they slept the day away. If only they knew that they had a guest they would have prepared lunch. After about half way Albert stopped and wiped the sweat off of his fore head. It was horribly terrifying. He stood there a second almost too afraid to move on. But he couldn't, he found he was frozen there on the  
  
spot, paralysed with fear. He needed to work up enough courage to move again. However the decision to move again which he found so much a difficulty in trying was made for him. One of the snakes moved in it's sleep, having a very nice dream eating a great big fat human which had stumbled upon it's layer. As it moved it tripped Albert up and made the dream almost come true. He felt himself let go of the torch and in slow motion he fell to the ground. Unluckily for him he managed to land on about 3 of the giant snakes in a long line. The fire fell to the ground and Albert felt the snake's muscles he was laying on suddenly tense up. As soon as he heard that sudden hiss which drove to a great torrent as all the snakes awoke he had started moving. Getting through quietly was no longer a decision he had to make. Running any old how he trod on just about every snake in his  
  
path. Each one made a loud painful hiss at different pitches, almost like a  
  
strangled cat. Running as fast as he could the snakes at the end started to  
  
get up. Quickly he jumped through the exit and heard several loud snaps of jaws just behind him in a rather hetraphonic texture. After that he did the  
  
silliest thing imaginable, he turned around. Just about every inch of the passage way was filled with snakes snapping their jaws shut trying to take pieces of Albert apart. Gradually they all began to wriggle they're way around each other. Quickly he turned and fled again. He soon left them behind while they were stuck trying to bulge out of the doorway, but it appeared after one got through that it was a lot faster at slithering than Albert was at running. Gradually the snakes began to gain on Albert as he slipped round each bend almost falling off into a great stream with many jagged rocks. He slipped and swerved and the snakes kept on following. Suddenly he  
  
turned a bend and the path stopped abruptly. Quickly he stopped and looked behind him, the snaked were almost on top of him. Quickly he leapt. He had fallen into one of the many water shoots of the caves and by the sound of it so had the gaining snakes behind him. Evidently they had made the same mistake and were hissing madly out of control. Albert felt his trousers soak full of water as he twisted round bends. Every sharp turn a spray of water would hit him in the face. Even so Albert had held on to his expensive spear, quickly he tried to wedge it into the slide rock but it kept slipping. It wouldn't brake, that spear was almost indestructible. A few times later he managed to slow himself down but a second later he heard the snakes hissing behind him so he pushed off even faster. Suddenly the water passage started to come to an end. It was falling into a water fall, however Albert knew he was going to go straight into the rock face wall with the force of it at the other side. Quickly Albert clutched the jade stone and used all his concentration and transformed into a dragoon. He flapped backwards to slow his speed but suddenly realised that he should have been flapping forwards. Just before he crashed into the rock face he heard his old physics teacher complaining in his head in Bale, about how he always got everything wrong. There was a great crash and Albert slammed straight through the rock wall and into day light. He hit soft grass and rolled bending his fragile wings painfully. As he looked up he noticed something was not right. He had certainly found out what was happening in Serdio. He had fallen straight in the middle of the enemy encampment, winglies stood everywhere with Virage looming down on Albert. He gulped innocently. Turning around he  
  
saw a snake in the hole he had made. Suddenly several others slammed through and pushed the single snake down with a uncontrollable din of hissing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- Quickly Loyd awoke Dart. It was day time and the sun was shining and Loyd was saying something Dart couldn't quite immediately understand. Suddenly he heard strangled yelps and hisses coming from the encampment. As he crawled over he saw that a great battle was ensuing, the air was filled with clouds of a horrible green gas and the grass stained with green and red blood. Giant snakes were everywhere attacking everything the Virage in turn were blasting everything back. Winglies were also in the sudden battle throwing hot fire balls and right in the centre of the chaos was Albert. A hole in the rock face was pouring giant snakes from it like a stream of water. The super Virage soon got the idea of what was going on and blasted the entrance with a great energy beam. The rock face collapsed with  
  
many snakes, but it only widened the entrance for more to come through. "For Soa's sake!" said Dart allowed. However Loyd was more pleased with the results of the battle. "Quick!" he said to Dart "Let's creep over to the big tent and clobber that mage before he starts casting spells on your dragoon friend. If we do that then his minions are going to go straight down" The two warriors ran past the battle to a large splendid looking tent. They waited outside of it. Eventually the mage Tamai came out  
  
wearing a grey cloak. He was a stern faced wingly with big grey eye brows. "What's going on out here!" he shouted across the field. No  
  
one replied, they were all to busy fighting one another. Quickly Loyd and Dart leapt out and batted the wingly across the head with the sword hilt. He felt to the ground with a groan and fainted. Dart looked over to Albert who  
  
was trying to dodge several winglies who were swinging their swords and a whole band of snakes. As Dart looked across the battle field, he saw that the super Virage was trying to back off. Snakes were all over it and more coming in great streams with no fear in their hearts. The great beast battled them off wildly, blasting now and again giant beams of energy. "Albert what the heck are you doing here?" shouted Dart "come on Loyd, we've got to go and help him" "I'll go distract the smaller Virage" replied Loyd "I'm sure you can help Albert by your self" Quickly Dart leapt forward and begun swishing the dragon buster madly hacking his way through the crowd of bodies. Snakes hissed in pain and winglies fell dead, inch by inch he struggled towards Albert. The swarm then completely swarmed over the poor king, Dart hurried to try and save him. He must have taken incredible damage. A great swing cleaved the heads of snakes off everywhere and Dart finally reached Albert, the king had detransformed during the battle, obviously he hadn't the strength to keep on fighting. Dart quickly hacked and slashed his way back out, turning to see Loyd fighting the Virage Albert was heavy, on Dart's shoulders. Loyd dodged from side to side in the air, getting out of the way of the dreaded lazer beams. Then when a open spot in the Virage's defence was in his sight he would leap in and cut the Virage's flesh to ribbons. "Bloody hell!" muttered Dart watching Loyd. He only turned round just in time to stop a snake from biting Albert's head off. Loyd's sword flashed like lightning, spinning himself round and multi strokes of his blade penetrating deep. The Virage's arm suddenly flew off with the force and scattered across a patch of short trees, getting stuck in the branches. The Virage was so much bigger than Loyd, yet like some kind of enchanted fly he shot round slicing the air. The next combo was devastating, Loyd thrust forward and stabbed multi times at the chest of the Virage, pieces of white flesh flew in all directions as the lightning stabs continued, soon the Virage just simply fell to pieces and Loyd was hitting thin air. As Dart turned to ward  
  
off the super Virage he turned just in time to see it be completely swarmed  
  
over by snakes. It fell to the ground with a crash and the snaked consumed it. "Tch tch" muttered Dart "there goes another extremely hard master piece of wingly work. What a shame. Oh well, who cares, it was just another Virage in the end. The winglies built up such a nice empire and even after they're power is long gone we're still tearing bits of it to pieces" Dart turned around to see another Virage fighting with the snakes. They were just about to swarm over it. Quickly Dart leapt forward with the dragon buster and cut the thing's head off, for some reason that felt like it should have been done. The snakes swarmed over the lifeless body and begun tearing it to pieces. Loyd looked over Albert. Quickly he took out a potion and  
  
administered it to the king's lips. "What are you doing?" asked Dart returning from the battlefield "He's been poisoned" replied Loyd grimly "I'm giving him a body purifier potion to get rid of it" "Is he going to be ok?" asked Dart a little worried "It hasn't failed to work yet" returned Loyd "Well, I think we better get out of here now" muttered Dart looking back at the snakes. "I agree" returned Loyd "I don't want to be here when Tamai wakes up" "Is he that good?" asked Dart taking out his dragoon spirit "Yes, I'd say so. We'll probably have to kill him later" Loyd saying that quickly flashed dark and turned into a dragoon again. With a quick swoop he lifted Albert up and carried him away with Dart following. Dart's multi wings shot out like daggers in the sun light, glinting orange. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- "When did you find her?" "Just this morning your majesty, she was slumped on the king's horse" "I wonder what happened to her?" there was a pause "Continue to treat her wounds" Makata quickly got up from the bed duvet. "Where am I?" asked the wingly looking around her "who are you?" she said to princess Emile. "Oh, you are awake? I am Emile, queen of Serdio," said Emile "who might you be?" "Makata" muttered Makata looking around her "you're all humans aren't you!" "Oh dear a wingly" sighed Emile "I hope your not going to  
  
be too much trouble" "Your majesty" said the butler quietly closing the door behind him Emile turned quickly to him. "Yes?" replied Emile waiting for a reply "You have some important visitors" "They can wait a little while" replied Emile turning back  
  
to Makata "So, you are the queen of Serdio" muttered Makata only vaguely interested "Yes" replied Emile "are you a messenger from the forest?" "I am from Satavesti. The floating wingly fort. I can see  
  
now that we are enemies" Emile stepped back. "Why should we be enemies! We've only just met! There's no need for this, don't you winglies ever learn. I suppose your going to tell me that this pointless attack on my husband's land is so that you can have revenge?" "No" returned Makata "It is only so that a artefact of great power be returned to us" "You could have asked first!" shouted Emile "rather than destroying pointless lives" "Did you humans ask when you knocked Kadessa out of the sky?" returned Makata in equal heat. It was amazing how in only a couple of seconds those two could fire up. "That was completely different!" "Oh was it!" said Makata standing up "your ancestors were  
  
my ancestors enemies, that makes you a enemy of me. And as my forefathers would have done, I shall destroy you and your land!" "Guards seize her!" shouted Emile pointing forward Two soldiers ran forward and leapt on Makata. They were thrown back against the wall in a cloud of flame.  
  
"What was that?" murmured Haschal from outside the door. There was a click from the door lock. Haschal walked over to investigate it. "Kongal, the doors locked" Kongal came forward and folded  
  
his arms "Albert! Are you in there? Are you going to tell us what this is all about!" continued Haschal making a tunnel with his hands. There was no reply.  
  
"You'll never get away with this screamed Emile" trying to open the door. Quickly she ran to the window, but the shutters closed all of a sudden. "Prepare to die queen of human fools," shouted Makata taking out a fire ball. It glowed red and shot forward in a rush of fire. Emile dodged and it burst into flames. The elaborately patterned carpet burst alight, which soon began to spread all over the room. A second later the door smashed open and Kongal came roaring in battle axe in hand. He ran towards her pushing Emile down and leapt forward. There was a flash of red light and he flew back. Makata transformed into the red eyed dragoon. Her wings glowed red with fire and cooled newly forged. "Huh!" exclaimed Haschal who came in after Kongal. Haschal took out his stone and Kongal followed. And then the battle started. There were two flashes of light as Makata readied herself. "I'll raise this castle to the ground," shouted Makata madly. Her weapon was missing though. Quickly she took up a near by candle stick. It glowed red and the dragoon armour encased it. Dragoons can use any weapon as their own. The candle stick glowed with fire just as any sword a the red eyed dragoon would use. Kongal leapt forward yet again and ignored the flame shot, which hit him straight on. He went straight past the shot which exploded on him and smacked Makata backwards head on. Kongal fumbled to smack with his battle axe but the flame shot had slowed him. She smashed out of the tower taking the wall with them. Haschal held up the roof as best as  
  
he could his hands glowing purple with the strain on the dragoon spirit. Tiles fell and Emile crawled out of the way coughing. Quickly he pushed up and the roof exploded into the air as the glow from his hands followed upwards in a ball of electricity. Carefully he lifted Emile and took her away to safety. He hovered gently down to the ground and carefully put her down. "Will you be ok?" she asked franticly "Hide!" he warned her before taking off again. He didn't give her time to reply. Haschal zoomed up into the sky leaving a purple trail of light behind him. Kongal was already ducking it out with the dragoon. However Makata seemed to be doing far more damage to Kongal then he was to her. She was simply too fast for him. "Thunder god attack!" shouted Haschal flying forward in a  
  
burst of energy. The preoccupied Makata was bashed aside as Haschal struck true. It was a good job that Kongal wasn't too fast or he would have killed  
  
Haschal while he used that spell by accident. The blade missed only by half  
  
a second. Kongal started to feel the strain to detransform on him  
  
after Haschal stole the fight, but he had a bit left in him still. Quickly he zoomed up and round to take her on behind. Haschal was just the sought of person to beat Makata. Not using any weapon but his fists it annoyed her how he was so good with them. "Is that the best you can do girl? You should have met my daughter, she would knock you flat" he jeered dodging her attack "Why you!" murmured Makata flying back all of a sudden "I'll show you for your big talk. You may be faster in the fight, but lets see who wins with sorcery!" Quickly she held out her hands and summoned the  
  
red eyed dragon. Fire leapt out of thin air, and the very air itself seemed  
  
to turn red with the heat. "Forward!" she shouted and Red eyed dragon blasted off towards Haschal "Haschal! Move!" exclaimed Kongal as loud as he could "Just bide my time" thought Haschal getting ready. The spirit of Red eyed dragon charged forward at high speed. A second before it  
  
hit Haschal use thunder god attack to jump himself out of the way. He flew up in the air and charged towards Makata over Red eyed dragon's head. The red eyed dragon crashed into the castle and with an almighty explosion the castle ricketed to and throw and fell to the ground burning in embers. That was the last of that ancient castle in Bale. Later only the twin castle in Fletz was said to hold the true key to the past of a ancient style of architecture. Makata was ready when Haschal came forward. She realised  
  
with ambition that these two dragoons were not as experienced as her or her  
  
brother and his human friend. She could defeat them easily with a simple spell. The usual summoning wasn't going to work. "Flame field!" she shouted pointing her hands forward. Flames surrounded her in a ring and Haschal backed off before he got burnt. Inside the ring she concentrated hard. After awhile she lifted her hand and took out a potion. She drank the contents and prepared her spell ready for casting. "Creation red eyed dragon" she exclaimed summoning all her strength. Fire leapt up out of the ground beneath her. Fire began to condense into one point in the sky. The light reared up into a magnificent display of fiery power. "She can't do that!" exclaimed Haschal looking forward with half closed eyes. Kongal shielded himself from the array of light with his  
  
hands. Fire and light poured into that one point in the sky. When it was finished A new dragon reeled its head in the sky. "How did you learn to do that!" demanded Haschal pointing forward, his hands glowing purple again. "Trade secret" she shrugged off "Did you really think there was no way to bring them back? Come now every species from the divine  
  
tree has a way of rebirth. There are many ways that a elemental dragon can be brought forth into this world. Of course this proves my superiority against you and human kind. These dragoon spirits are mightily simple things. Forward!" With that command the red eyed dragon leapt forward again  
  
towards Haschal. Haschal moved away with a thunder god attack but the red eyed dragon followed him anyway. It met him in mid air and swiped hard at him. It's claws struck his chest and he was sent wildly flying in a spiral away. Then it flamed him. The power of the dragoon is not infinite, but the  
  
armour will protect you from almost any attack. There were only two magical  
  
weapons powerful enough to be effective against dragons and dragoons. One was destroyed after the famous battle against the divine dragon. One Dart holds still in his hand. Kongal charged again at Makata. He flew forward and sliced the air. She dodged back and laughed. "After my dragon destroys your friend I shall be free to concentrate on you!" she smirked pulling her sword into the offensive "for now, I shall have to guard my back, but be warned, when your friend falls, you shall fall faster still" Haschal thought back as best he could. But he had never really had to fight a dragon by himself. There had always been someone to help or heal him if he was badly injured. "We're going to have to back off" wheezed Haschal dodging  
  
the dragon's flames. Kongal heard and turned away from Makata. Her sword sliced a mark across his leg as he escaped. He cried out in pain. "She's too much for us on our own with her dragon" exclaimed Haschal backing off from more flames. "Dragon!" shouted Makata "they're going to try and escape, hunt them down and kill them" Kongal suddenly had a good idea. He looked over to a far away hill. Quickly he waved his hand forward in that direction and turned back to Makata. "Me not like you dragoon" shouted Kongal at Makata "you destroy Albert's castle. You evil being. But you are still not as strong as  
  
Kongal, follow me and I shall battle you fairly away from your dragon. Are you afraid? Gigantos do not know fear, do you winglies have that weakness?" That was just the sought of thing to spark Makata's immediate interest. "I'll show you fear, you Gigantos scum. Why oh why weren't you destroyed with the rest of your perfetic species? Go, lead the way" Kongal quickly flew as fast as he could leaving a yellow trail off towards the hill side. Makata followed at equal speed. She didn't  
  
want him to get away. "What the heck are you doing!" shouted Haschal turning his head for a second. With the red eyed dragon it was a constant case of retreat on the attackers part. The dragon flung wide arcs, which a human fighter couldn't possibly achieve, without being countered. But dragons were fast and big. And dragons usually don't mind been pin pricked a few times to destroy their enemies. As soon as Makata crossed the hill Kongal abruptly turned around. So fast that Makata almost dropped her weapon in surprise. "Forward!" shouted Kongal! "What?" replied Makata Suddenly there was a gigantic cracking sound and the earth burst open. The spirit of the earth elemental dragon burst forth and Makata  
  
didn't have time to escape. Once you stop flying as a dragoon it's a job to get speed up again. The earth elemental dragon flung up into the air sending debree everywhere and skewered Makata through the chest. The spike of a arm neatly  
  
fit into one of the holes in the dragoon armour. Blood spurted out of her mouth as she screamed into the air. A second later the spirit gave a roar and pulled her down into the earth. The ground rumbled and the dragon disappeared below. Slowly the crack sealed up with a puff of fire. The last of Makata's embers. The red eyed dragon stopped and Haschal also. It looked over at Kongal for a few seconds, then at the sky. It's red eyes flashed in the sun. Suddenly he took off and Haschal was blown aside. The dragon flew off into the horizon and dissapered far away. It was free now, and dangerous. Haschal descended slowly down to Emile on the ground. "Your highness I'm awfully sorry" "Don't worry" replied Emile in tears ", Albert said he was going to redecorate anyway" "Would you mind" said Haschal slowly "telling me what this is all about" Kongal descended a next to him. Slowly he put his hand on Haschal's shoulder. Haschal felt the weight delve into his shoulder blade. "Let her be" murmured Kongal. By: QQQ 


	4. Red sky at morning

Chapter 4: Red sky at morning "Albert? Albert are you alright?" Slowly the king got up his eyes in a blur. He looked around him for a second before clearing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Is that you Dart?" asked Albert "you wouldn't mind telling me what the heck is going on would you" "I think that can wait a little while can't it Albert?" replied Dart folding his arms "you did just get attacked by a whole army of giant snakes and Virage and winglies at the same time. You may be a little light headed" "Remind me to bring a map next time I go wandering off in the lime stone caves" moaned Albert stroking his forehead. Loyd landed quickly touching the ground, his black sinister wings folding around him. They dissapered in a flash as he threw a dead dear on the ground. "I found some lunch" he said ", I hope you realise your majesty that this is very inconvenient for us" Albert looked up into the face of Loyd. Quickly he jumped back, swung his spear in a circle and took out his dragoon spirit. "Quick! Dart, I'll use a rose storm and you final burst him. Then I'll put in the occasional gaspless spell in!" Dart pushed Albert's weapon aside. "Loyd's a good guy now Albert, we don't have to fight him" Albert looked from side to side as if he was still not sure. Loyd sighed. "Just put the weapon down before I kill you" "Loyd that wasn't helpful!" complained Dart holding Albert back who was now thinking about cutting Loyd into several pieces. "You killed Lavitz you Bastard!" shouted Albert trying to run forward. Dart wrenched the spear away from him and threw it aside. It landed with a clang on a rock. The dragoon spirit began to flash but Dart seeing what was happening snatched it away. It felt like a fresh breeze in his hand. Each dragoon spirit Dart had held felt different. The red dragoon spirit now buried beneath the earth, felt like a warm sunset, while the divine dragoon spirit was like a burden which needed to be used, and felt all the better when it was. This was like a fresh breeze against the palm of the hand. Loyd turned and walked a few steps away. "I know you can never forgive me for what I did. But I did it with a false knowledge, If you want to kill me, then kill me now" "You bet I will!" shouted Albert suddenly wrenching away from Dart's grip. Dart leapt forward and did a rugby tackle and held onto the king's legs. Albert crawled forward a few paces taking Dart behind him before Dart managed to sit on him enough to make the king give up. "Look, Albert, this isn't accomplishing anything. Why don't we just have this wonderful lunch that Loyd brought us (Albert snarled) and then we can talk!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- "Meru" said Guhara in the hotel room "now that we've travelled the world, and that you've won the heroes competition. You don't think that we could, possibly, you know, settle down some place" Meru pondered on the idea for a few seconds. "I guess, but it's so fun travelling around everywhere. We still haven't been absolutely everywhere" "Meru" sighed Guhara "where haven't we been" Meru paused and put her finger to her lip. She thought quickly for a place they hadn't been. "The moon!" she exclaimed. And we can go there! It's a great place, we can visit the divine tree, or whats left of it!" Guhara sighed again "Meru, I'm serious, I want to settle down. You've been jogging around like a yo yo for however many decades now, I just want to live somewhere, and not have to trec around again. It's nothing big, please, you can't say I haven't tried your way, and frankly I don't want to do that for the rest of my life" Meru looked sad. Her face paled and looked away to the window. Guhara got up off the bed and walked over to her. "I'm sorry, just forget it" he murmured ", you can trec around if you want" "No," said Meru softly "your right, I guess we should stop all this. It's just it seems so short a time to just stop, and give up" Guhara tried to speak but Meru stopped him "listen, I know. We'll take one last trip to see Albert at his castle in Bale. Then, you choose the destination from then on. Then we'll stay wherever you like" Guhara smiled. "Thanks" he murmured. There was a long pause and Guhara put his hand on Meru's shoulder. It felt soft as it always did. He was about to say something when she suddenly jumped up. "Let's go then!" she exclaimed, and ran over grabbing her things together. ". what? Now?" asked Guhara "Why not?" she replied as if the conversation hadn't happened "now is as good as any time!" Guhara mumbled curses inside his head and slowly with great strain started to get his things together. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- Emile walked over the ruins of the castle. She pulled rocks of where she could, Haschal tried to persuade her not to but she wanted to get any survivors out of there. The remaining soldiers from the town had come over and were taking the rubble away. It had completely blocked the rivers from flowing, and it was over flowing onto the stone. Kongal lifted heavy rocks and threw them aside. Every now and again he felt strong enough and transformed to a dragoon. Then he would move the rocks a lot faster. Haschal did the same, although he couldn't do the job as fast as Kongal could. There was a swarm of people attacking the mound, every now and again they'd find a wounded soldier, drag him out and take him to the local clinic. Many many died. The wounds to the soldiers were terrible. Most of the time it was the armour which hut them more than anything, the metal twisted inwards and had to be carefully removed. "I just can't believe it" murmured Haschal ",why?" "Kongal, not know why. Kongal only see suffering, must help people" replied Kongal chucking rocks aside faster. Both at this moment were not dragoons. Emile after awhile began to get tired. Even so she continued. Gradually she slowed down and listened to the people around her. "I heard, it was a plot by the two big men" said one "Dam them, I'll get them I swear" replied the other "they're probably winglies as well. Well I'll show them. They deserve to be cut up and killed just like all the rest of that horrible species! I hate them! I hate them all!" Emile walked quietly away and over to Kongal and Haschal. "What is it your majesty?" asked Kongal bowing before her. Kongal listened in and stopped working. He wiped his forehead and leaned on his huge battle-axe. "You two better get out of here" whispered Emile. The tears still shone a little in her eyes "the people are in no mood for you. They're blaming you for all this" Haschal sighed. "I don't blame them, it was kinda are fault in the first place the castle fell" "As much as I need your help" said Emile sadly "I also don't need your help, you will only make everyone grouchy, I'm afraid I'm going to ask you two to leave. I hope you won't take it against me" "Of course not your majesty" said Hashcal as honestly and compassionately as he could truthfully sound. "Kongal scout out and find what's going on" smiled Kongal but the smile was only for show. It felt uneasy and soon left the giant's face. "I would prefer it if you didn't fly until you are way out of town if that's ok. Don't remind the people" mourned Emile looking at the floor ",if you see Albert" she continued "tell him that when he returns he's going to have to cut my head off" "What?" stammered Haschal with a look of surprise "Because I failed him, I failed this country while I was in charge. It's all my fault that everyone died" Suddenly she burst into tears and fell down to the ground crying. She cothered her eyes and sobbed, gasping for breath as if it hurt her very lungs. "I can't take to see his face when he returns. He'll be so angry, and sad that I failed him. I don't know what to do, the castle fell, I don't know what to do anymore, help me Hashcal" And the rest was lost into tears. She cried and Haschal found it hard to speak. "Emile" whispered Haschal not using the formal title "you have done a brilliant job. If anyone alive is to blame it's the dragoons and the winglies, it was not your fault. This battle has been going back for tens of thousands of years! If Albert sais one word of you failing him I'll skin him alive! But I know he won't because he's a decent man. Speaking of which where the hell is he? I'm going to have a long talk with him" "I don't know" sobbed Emile "he went after Dart, "he was saying something about that this battle was a problem only dragoons could sought out" Haschal's face went pale. "Your majesty" said Haschal his face going pale ",I think when you are feeling better you'd better explain to us what all of this is about. Albert wouldn't just take off without a good reason" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- Far away across the hills, past the lime stone caves, and a battlefield full of corpses, with giant snakes feasting on the remains, far further still to a hill, with a small fire on top, Dart sat down. The day was getting late and a nasty atmosphere was emanating from the fire. The situation was rather comical, in the feeling of the occasion. There was Loyd sat his back hunched and looking the other way, opposite him was Albert his back hunched and looking the other way, and Dart in between them stairing his head in his hands watching the fire. "You could at least attempt to talk to each other" complained dart pensively. There was a long silence in which nobody said anything. Somewhere a owl hooted, the grass hoppers were clicking away, and the fire burned softly to itself. "I don't think he wants to talk" muttered Loyd "I don't think I want to talk" continued Albert still looking the other way "there maybe spies around" he said giving Loyd a suspicious glance A wolf howled. Recently wolf howling had become something of a little guess work, they were rather disappointed each night to find the moon seemed to be hidden behind clouds every night. "I'm sorry you feel that way" said Loyd softly "Well I've got good reason to!" complained Albert "Oh get over it!" rasped Loyd "it's not that big a deal, people die in wars" "Wrong Loyd" replied Albert "people get killed in wars, don't make it easy on your self" "Please!" shouted Dart ", just shake hands or something. This is not good timing. I don't care if you two want to rip each others ears out, I never really took that many grudges myself so." "You seemed pretty convinced when you were chasing me" pointed out Loyd "Shut up! Look, all I'm interested in at the moment, is finding and rescuing Shana" "Shana went missing?" asked Albert surprised "Yes" replied Dart "that is why they destroyed Seles again. You know, sometimes I feel wherever Shana goes some town's going to get burned down. Perhaps we should have lived in Aglis, that can't really burn very easily, anyway I'm diverging. Albert, we forgot one thing we needed to investigate after we defeated Melbu, the reason for that is mainly because we didn't have Rose with us who would have told us what to do. We destroyed the body of the moon child but we cannot destroy the soul, the soul is immortal. Though it is no danger now without the body, it can still be used for infinite magical power, and be refined by the winglies themselves. When they get Shana, they're going to kill her, and retrieve the second soul within her. We've got to stop them! Now. can you two at least see sense in working together, to make sure Shana survives and the whole of the world isn't enslaved again by winglies?" "I guess" murmured Albert. He looked at Loyd suspiciously again. "I suppose we could" murmured Loyd feeling guilty "Right then! That's settled!" said Dart happily "Not yet!" interrupted Albert "you may be a flashy swords man Loyd, but when we're finished, you and me are going to fight this out. Dragoon against dragoon, Lavitz's death will be avenged, do you accept the challenge?" "Albert!" complained Dart after he had just got things working out. "Fine" said Loyd "I've settled things this way plenty of times in the past. If that's how you want it, then be my guest" "Settled!" smiled Albert. It didn't seem like Albert at all. But then again Dart had never tried killing one of Albert's friends to find out for sure what he would be like. Still, Lavitz had been just as much of a friend to Dart, perhaps even more so. "So what next?" asked Dart looking at the others. He knew exactly what was happening next, he just wanted to make sure the others weren't going to kill each other in the middle of the night. Straight away in the morning they were going to head as fast as they could towards Mayfil and hopefully not get disturbed on the way. "We sleep and then we travel" murmured Loyd turning around and trying to get some sleep. Albert mumbled something about Loyd being too casual and then rolled over himself. "It's a bit early isn't it?" asked Dart "Sod it" mumbled Loyd "I'm fed up with killing Virage" "And being attacked by giant snakes" added Albert But even as Dart spoke the light began to fade. It was just plainly the fact that he didn't feel like sleeping. He knew those two would be arguing all morning. He waited and pretended to try and sleep. After awhile he gave up and watched the stars begin to come out. Albert was the first to snore and then a long time after Loyd fell asleep. Dart watched them both and listened. The fire was beginning to burn low. Quietly he got up and walked away. "I've got to rescue Shana" he murmured ",I can feel she's in danger. If I wait until tomorrow, there is no chance" Dart looked down quietly at the dragon buster. Suddenly it flared up yellow, happy at its new use. Dart carefully took out the divine dragoon spirit and held it up to the dark sky. There was a flash of white light and Dart took off leaving a stream of light behind him. He flew high into the sky and circled carefully around the companions, careful not to leave a cold shadow over them. Then, at full speed he zoomed towards Mayfil. Little did Dart know the dangers ahead, while softly the wingly and the king slept. The dragon buster began to hum to itself. Dart felt the worry and tension and anger start to grow back inside him like it had done that night when Seles was destroyed for good. He zoomed across the sky in fury, ready to go into hell itself to retrieve his loved one. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- "Virage invaded?" gaped Haschal. Emile had recovered her self now. They were in the house of Lavit's mother. She was a sad old women, who people thought was on the verge of madness. "Yes" continued Emile sadly ", and Albert just took off to go after them. Then a few days later this wingly turns up with Dart's dragoon spirit. "Oh no" sighed Haschal ", I hope Dart's ok. Still it used to be his spirit, but no longer, if anything happened to him I don't know what I'd do. Emile I'm sorry, this has to happen, but we're going to have to go and find out what is going on. "Couldn't we wait till sun, rise?" asked Kongal leaving an embarrassing gap between the sun - rise. It was dark outside, but it was still possible to here the faint digging amongst the rubble of the castle. A new home would have to be placed there one day. "It'd be better to fly now. Even though I feel tired, I think I can still fell the boat rocking if I close my eyes. I think we better hurry Kongal. This is starting to sound more serious than the average war" "I wish you luck Haschal and Kongal, please find Albert and tell him what has happened here" she said half heartedly "When I find that husband of yours I'll bash his brains in if that's what it takes to bring him to his senses. Don't you worry Emile we'll find him and what's going on. We dragoons have taken down Virage and super Virage before, we can deal with it" "Better we go now Haschal?" said Kongal putting his hand on the man's shoulder. That was getting annoying for Haschal, Kongal often did that and it was like and padded anvil being lowered carefully down. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- "Be it snow hale, storm or hurricane I shall fly through it for you Shana" muttered Dart zooming across the sky. The dragon buster started to hum incredibly loudly and was in a whirl of flame. The divine dragoon armour shone brighter than normal. The multi wings stretched back in a bright yellow aura casting a shadow of darkness and bright light on the ground below. Dart left a white lighted trail behind him which soon dissapered and faded as he past. He was moving faster than ever before. He had known all along he would have had to chased Shana alone. It was there at the back of his mind. He just hadn't wanted to do it. Likely when Albert and Loyd woke up their first instinct would be to follow after him. That's why he made good speed. He had soon left Serdio behind and zoomed past the twin castle in Fletz like a meteor in the sky. It was noted by astronomers, but only two people new it's true significance. The land rolled underneath, trees forests land. He could reach Shana by dawn, he new he could. He would have to, if he was to save her. The impulse drove wild in his mind, they had been too slack the past few days, and cothered almost no ground. Now he had to make up for it. He had improved with the divine dragoon spirit, Loyd had toughened him up. The dragon buster hummed louder as Dart's thoughts strayed to killing Hatu for what he did to Seles. The wingly had disturbed the newly formed peace over the world, for greed and ambition. He would have to be stopped, he couldn't be aloud to get away with this. Hours cut into the night and seemed to pass away like minutes, blown away as the leaves on a windy autumn day. Dart's eyes stayed focused on the steering of his direction. He looked down to the west and saw the valley of corrupted gravity, stones floated through the night. He was far away enough not to be affected. "Dart help me" echoed Shana's voice in Dart's head. He could no longer tell if it was a true voice or a imitation, created by the mind. He knew only that one thing, to get to her before they killed her. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- "Albert!... Albert! Wake up!" shouted Loyd Albert's tired eyes slowly opened from a peaceful sleep. He had dreamed of a peaceful return to his home with Emile. "What is it?" he yawned ", oh it's you!" "Listen!" hurried Loyd ",it's Dart, he's gone missing!" "What?" asked Albert getting up. It was still dark, though the hints of the approach of morning were appearing in the sky. Albert quickly stood up and looked around him. He saw a spec in the night sky. "Loyd! He's over there you idiot?" pointed Albert at the stream of light in the sky. "Well what's he doing at this time of night if that's him? Hey! I think I can see someone else, Albert if it's winglies prepare to fight. We had a battle with a wingly on the way, that turned out to be my hated sister. I don't know where she is now, just be prepared" "What should we do" said Albert not meaning it to be a question to Loyd "I'm going to fly up there, if I get in trouble you can dragoon transform and help me out" replied Loyd quickly enough so that Albert didn't have time to refuse. All that the king managed to say was "wait!" Loyd pierced the air with his wingly wings. They glowed brightly with the power of magic. He flew up into the night sky and stopped. The specs came closer and closer, and eventually he could see their shape in more detail and their faces. They were both dragoons. A big one and a small one, their hair was black, which meant that they were both mere humans. Haschal and Kongal approached and slowed. Suddenly Haschal caught Loyd's face in the weak light. "Kongal! Stop, oh my god it's Loyd. How'd he get here?" "Stop!" called Loyd ahead of them in his deep firm voice. He put his hand forward in a polite gesture "I'm not here to fight, we decided on that long ago" "So you're the one behind this!" roared Haschal his eyes sparkling with lightning. He withdrew a thunderbolt of electricity and perched it on his hand ready to fire. "Look! I don't want to hurt you!" pleaded Loyd "Kongal not believe wingly" said Kongal in a quiet but deadly voice. He readied his axe ready to strike the wingly down. Down below, Albert saw the glint of a blade under the star light. Sensing Loyd was in trouble he quickly took out his jade spirit and transformed. He flew fast and charged towards Kongal. Their blades met and Kongal caught off guard was thrown backwards in a wild retreat not quite knowing what was going on. Haschal dived at Loyd, thinking the battle had started. Loyd caught off guard was winded and smacked in the stomach. Haschal brought his thigh up in one smooth motion so that his foot towered over Loyd's head, and then brought it down with a crash. Loyd dropped in height and tried through giddy eyes to defend himself. "Albert!?" asked Kongal suddenly stopping ", What's going on" "Stop this!" shouted Loyd holding on to his head. It throbbed madly. Carefully he took out a potion and drank the contents, with a small gasp "Look, I'm not trying to kill you, Albert will back me up!" "What's Loyd trying to do this time Albert?" asked Haschal turning around "or is it you who have betrayed us all?" Albert sighed regrettingly and deeply. "Loyd, is on are side now. Look, come down by what's left of are burned out fire and I'll try to explain this as quickly as possible" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- Mirandir looked throughout the library. She had a pile of books on her desk. Each one showed the histories of the dragon campaign. She had no idea what to do with the spirit once she was too old to use it. Just let it rest would be the best thing. She quietly read a book about the divine dragon. How in times of old it had flown freely across the skies. The tale was in an old wingly translated version by Diaz himself. It told of how once the divine dragon had flown one morning throughout the skies and crashed into a wingly military city. It had thrashed about wildly and destroyed all the Virage, which came to seek it out. It destroyed super Virage with one shot of its cannon and then in a mad rage circled round and devastated the whole fortress inch by inch. Dragons seemed to be attracted to Virage. "In the dawn of time when Soa blessed the species, he gave the winglies the most benefits. They were the master race to live and to build great things of magical power. The humans were to live peacefully and live along side of nature while the winglies improved it. This wisdom was given to the two species. However Soa blessed each race in its own turn. However one other species was given power even greater than the winglies. Because of their small numbers each was given immense power. They were the dragons, and they were the ones who eventually lead us to victory. Dragons have an intelligence no other species had. It wasn't how many numbers they can keep in their head at one time, it was a deep understanding of all things. And they respected Soa for the benefits he gave them. That is why the dragons were attracted to Virage, they didn't like them. They were created by winglies, and therefore against the will of the creator. And that is exactly why they helped us, they disagreed with the separation of the final species, between it's body and its soul. I must admit that I didn't understand much of it myself, but I think I got the basic idea. Tomorrow the dragoons will attack Kadessa lead by Zieg, we will destroy the signet sphere and release the blessing to the world for all. I have no idea why the winglies fear it. Tomorrow the final battle begins, and I look forward with happiness to the marriage of two great dragoons. Long live the human race! This is are greatest time" Mirandir sighed. "its such a shame Melbu had to ruin everything. If he hadn't cast that devastating spell, the dragons would still be among us now" There was a flash of light and a aura filled the room. "Huh?" gasped Mirandir looking around her. She felt into her pokets and retrieved the white silver spirit. It was glowing. Quickly she climbed down from the top floor and ,made her way to the bottom of that great library. Past the crystal palace which had scaffolding all around it a tiny light appeared in the distance. It was moving horizontally across the sky. "Dart?" asked Mirandir. Some of the people pointed in fear and started running in doors. Some people still feared the return of the divine dragon. "I hope this still works" murmured Mirandir looking at her spirit stone. She transformed in a flash and took off into the sky. She wasn't as strong as she had been, she had spent too much time in doors reading "I think I'll just follow him for now" However she found she had to really try to keep up. Dart was moving very very fast indeed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- "How long has he been gone?" asked Haschal angrily to Albert as the four dragoons flew along side each other. "Since sometime in the night" replied Albert telling the truth. There was silence for a while. Haschal dropped back to Kongal. "What should I say to him?" whispered Haschal in the giant's ear Kongal looked over at Albert with pity. The morning air was blowing against them in a torrent almost as if the sun's light were getting trapped inside. They passed over a lake and the water dazzled everyone's eyes with the reflection. "If I were him, it wouldn't be good for I to know all, yet" replied Kongal cautiously. "We're never going to catch up with Dart at this rate!" complained Loyd flying backwards ", can't you dragoons go any faster? It's no surprise Melbu beat you to every single sphere if you were going at this sought of speed!" Haschal grumbled and flew a little faster. His strength was ebbing and soon he knew he would have to rest, and show Loyd his weaknesses. "They and I are going as fast as we can" returned Albert, out of patience ", if that's not fast enough for you, then we can go no faster" "Your lying" returned Loyd "if you people had spent more time harnessing your power you might be able to fly as well as me. I may be a wingly, but that doesn't mean I have a advantage in the effort I put in! The more determined you are with these spirits the faster you improve!" "Are you saying you can do this any better than us?" asked Haschal out of temper "I can" returned Loyd doing a loop the loop right in front of them "and if we don't hurry up Dart's going to do something silly! He's a wild card, let loose with love to feed him, and the dragon buster, who knows what he could do. He may accidentally kill Shana in haste. I tell you, if your not careful with the divine dragoon spirit it can take you over. I felt it trying to control me, I guess that's why I got so good at controlling it. Still, I don't blame him, at the pace you slowed us down to Albert, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd rather have walked it" "How dare you!" shouted Albert raising his spear "You can try and kill me now if you like" returned Loyd "but it will only waist your time and mine. and Shana's! I don't think we want another death in the family, especially if it's two" "Your disgusting!" rasped Haschal looking down at the ground "Depends on what you thinks disgusting" returned Loyd ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- Across the horizon the dead city of Mayfil came in sight. Sunlight was pouring down on to the soft grass below, like liquid lemon juice. "Shana I'm coming" murmured Dart madly. The divine dragoon spirit flickered with mad glee. He sped on across the land, and dived downwards into one of the many vents of the city of the dead. The coldness surrounded him. He lowered down to a grey platform and with a flash transformed back to his normal state. He sat gasping and coughing for a few moments on the cold flaw. The extent of his journey in such a short time and the cold air entering his saw lungs were a pain for no man to bare. His throat itched as he got the coughing fit under control. He looked at the spirit of the dragon. It hummed softly, as if at ease with itself, unlike Dart who was worried sick. The stone glowed a faint light and then slowly went out. The light seemed to be sucked away into the air, feeding the endless dead spirits there. The whole city was a glow of darkness and a rich blue. The spirits of the dead moaned quietly on the wind every now and again. In ages old the winglies ruled this city and many others. They were gone now, only the silence, only forgotten secrets in the darkness. Dart made his way slowly down the passage ways, heading down where ever he could. He was in a different part of Mayfil than he had originally been in. There were less teleporters here to get confused about. When Dart had last come to Mayfil he was in a hurry and didn't have much time to look around. They had to get to the signet sphere before Melbu got there. They had battled the souls of three dragons, and then the spirit of Lavitz, who had been possessed by a great evil. The only they could get to the sphere was to use the countless teleporters in the city. The wingly teleporting devices were amazingly good and accurate. They would teleport you as a green ball to many a destination. However it seemed the area Dart was heading to was older, and more primitive. It was as if the winglies had yet to update this arcane area of the city. There was less light. Dart felt fin and frail, his skin held lightly to his body. He was weak and defenceless in his normal form except for the dragon buster and his store of spells. At the moment the sword was not glowing at all, the flames had gone out, probably to do with the power flux of the city. There was only a silver blade, which glittered softly and caught the light as Dart moved it around. He swished it through the air, and it parted it easily. "I've got to find you Shana" he murmured stairing at the sword. Was there a blood stain on it? He could see the blood and could not see it, there should be, yet was there. It looked like there was blood. Dart shook his head quickly and took a step forward, the ground gave way beneath him and he fell. The stones had to have been lose as he saw the darkness roaring up towards him. He took out the dragoon spirit but it wouldn't work. There was nothing in him at that moment to make it work. As he fell he felt the cold wind surround him faster and faster, and more cold. Despair and darkness surrounded him and the faces of dead spirits roared up on the soul wind. Colours of cold blue and dead winglies and humans from the dragon campaign their souls not at rest. He would fall to his death and then, when his body shattered his soul would be sucked away into oblivion and trapped in the city until it past into the other world. There was no return from the city of Mayfil as such as there is no return from death. No species ever cheated the Ultimate rule. The winglies word for life, was only the word death with a negative added on. Suddenly the cold concentrated on his shoulders and feet like a roaring pain. Gradually he started to slow down and struggled to get the roaring pain out of his shoulders. Looking down him he saw a ghostly spirit in front of him. "Dart, listen to me" said the spirit. Handsome light blue hair from the ghost wavered like the air in the heat of a foreign sun. It was Zieg holding his feet. "Dart, you mustn't rescue Shana" "Father?" asked Dart desperately and unsure, "but why! I love her!" "She is doomed Dart" said a feminine voice from behind him. He looked up to see the faint aura of red in the spirits hair. Rose looked down at Dart. "You cannot save her anymore, but you can save your self! And the world! This has been what we dragoons have always battled for!" The darkness started to descend away again and the walls instead moved downwards or seemed to. "You must let her die, then take the signet sphere and brake it here! In this powerful place the soul will be sucked away for ever! You cannot stop her death, it is too late, but if you interfere before, the time comes, the god of destruction will find a new way into the world, and it shall destroy you and all in it's path" "How do you know all this?" questioned Dart looking at Zieg. Zieg's face took on a serious expression and wavered in the wind. "It was Soa himself who spoke to us. He said he was sorry, when he first created the world he wanted to make it perfect. But he failed, this was his first attempt, he tried to destroy it with the last species from his tree and remake it again but we stopped him. He has decided now that all things are precious that he has made, and now the bridge of time shall continue for us as long as he wishes. He tells us, that the worst mistake he made was to try and destroy the world, and it all went wrong because we interfered. He sais that Shana must not speak to you again before she dies, or the worst things could happen" "Why should I listen to Soa? He may be the creator but he tried to destroy us!" said Dart angered "you tried to stop him!" "Dart" said Rose after Zieg had finished "you must let her die. Her soul will flow free and the moon child's also. Then the final species will die for good, and so must Shana, but she will live on in the afterlife. If you try to interfere, the fate of the world could be in danger and everything we have protected for 10000 years and more to come! This is the hardest thing you will ever have to do, but it is the right thing!" "What are they going to do to her?" exclaimed Dart up set, tears started to stream down his eyes helped by the cold wind "how will they kill her! I must know!" The walls stopped moving. Gently Dart descended onto a platform. It was a green teleporter. The pain eased and Rose and Zieg hovered back as dart got up. It was Rose who spoke next. "They shall hold her in the very core of Mayfil, where all spirits in the world feel their soul being pulled. Then shall kill her with the Satavesti soul blade, it will only just take away her life. Her soul will then fly easily free, but the god of destruction shall hang on for all it's worth. Then shall seal it away in a new crystal sphere, half made by the magician Faust a long time ago as a spare. He never finished it, the wingly mage Tamai finished it in this century and gave it to Melbu's descendant Hatu Frahma. Then they shall seal the soul in the crystal. That is when Soa has foreseen that you will be able to interfere, you must fly forward as the divine dragoon and destroy the crystal. With no body to hang onto the soul will plummet to the other world, the same as Shana" "I can't kill Shana!" shouted Dart back suddenly ",I love her more than anything else in the world!" The divine dragoon spirit flashed white, and the dragon buster burst into a blue flame, which was sucked slowly in a spiral away across the wind. "You will have to Dart" replied Rose sadly ", Lavitz said: do it for the world, that is his message to you. You don't understand, we don't know how, but if she doesn't die at the correct time as the winglies wish! A force so powerful could be created, that it's power could destroy the world, or rip a whole in reality. She must die Dart, you must not interfere!" Slowly the spirits faded slightly. And were then caught and sucked away like a spiral of water on the wind. They flew away towards the light. "Father!" shouted Dart ", How can you expect me to watch her die!... Shana!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- By QQQ 


	5. A touch of madness

Chapter 5: A touch of madness Meru and Guhara were on their way, they would just have a brief stop by Bale and then go straight back home. It was going to hopefully be the final journey that they would have to make. After that, Guhara was just looking forward to the peaceful afternoons in the forest. "I can't wait to see Albert again! I haven't seen the king for so long! In fact, not since that party we had in Bale before everyone went their separate ways" "And then you came to me" replied Guhara with a smile "Yes" replied Meru happily ", and I took you off on that wonderful visit to all those countries! Wasn't that fun?" "It had it's moments" replied Guhara ", but I've always preferred the sanctity of the forest. I wasn't born to travel around everywhere" "No, I agree with that Guhara, you're just such a softy. And that's why I married you, all those other winglys were talking about killing humans and going off to war, and this and that, while you just didn't really give a dam about all that" "Meru!" complained Guhara "Oh, I'm only teesing you" she replied with a laugth. She ran forward a little and did a twirl through the air. Meru just loved to dance, it was her favourite hobby. "Hey stop" muttered Guhara listening suddenly "Oh Guhara" laugthed Meru "I'm having fun" "No! Seriously. that noise!" said he being still. Meru paused and listend as well. All she could here was the gentle wind, and birds, and a slight smell of bonfires from left over leaves. "I don't hear anything" replied Meru with a puzzled look "Shh!" exclaimed Guhara. She listened once more. Gradualy she did begin to here something, a slight tremor in the earth and a patter in the distance. the noise became louder until it was the noise of a horse. It took a while for a response to occour but Meru decided to go see who was riding, she had a hopeful feeling it was going to be Albert. Meru hurried up the steep hill gesturing Guhara to follow and she reached to top of the grass, sand making it's way into her shoes. "What happened?" muttered Meru. She stould there and stopped, breathing heavily. "What is it?" asked Guhara gradualy reaching the top, his hands doing half the work his feet should have been doing. Meru pointed forward to the horizon where Bale sat. Across the landscape the brilliant city streched out across the land, but where the castle used to stand at the back of the city, there was only the charred remains of what used to be the most magnificent building in Serdio. "Is this the Bale I once knew?" gasped Guhara "Correct me please!" Meru moved her eyes to the source of the growing noise. A horse with a imperial soldier on top, the elite force of Bale rode forward at high speed. "Hey!" shouted Meru ", stop!" the man didn't appear to hear what she said but it made him look up. He shook his head and rode on. He certainly wasn't going to stop for anyone. Guhara pushed Meru out of the way at the last minute and the two lay sprawled on the ground as the horesman rode past leaving the two winglys in a cloud of dust. Meru got up quickly and took hold of the blue sea dragon spirit. It flashed blue sparkles of water vapour flyine everywhere. the dragoon armour surrounded her and she leapt up into the air, her wings hovering her slowly into the air. Suddenly she shot forward at high speed in pursuit of the knight. the horseman glad to be rid of them rode on and looked at sky. Slowly he turned his head across his horse to find that wear there used to be a cloud was a flying dragoon. He shouted out and fell from his steed, the horse riding on. the rider tumbled a while in the dust before stopping and falling over. Meru landed lightly beside him and knelt own as Guhara came running down the slope. "Can you please tell me what's going on here?" asked Meru as calmly as possible "Why didn't you stop?" wheezed Guhara quite out of breath from his run. "I was given orders from princess Emile to reach no matter what... are you Meru? the dragoon wingly?" "Yes yes, what happened?" hurried Meru worried for Albert's sake "How ironic" murmered the man. He cougthed suddenly getting the dust and dirt out of his lungs. "You're the very person I was sent to find, I should have known when I saw the platinum hair of you two. the dynasty of Serdio is in dissaray, a few days ago a wingly who are gracious queen has not given us the identity of arrived suddenly, a dragoon. She attacked her madjesty, but Kongal the earth dragoon and Hassal, the thunder dragoon appeared." "Haschal!" replied Meru quickly but firmly corrected the man" "Haschal" continued the man " appeared and they stopped her and killed her just to the hills over there. She summoned a dragon which dissapered over the hill side, if I may say so, I never thought of the magic to be that strong" "This does not bode well" sighed Guhara "Albert went missing a few days ago, he could have battled her with his own weapons, if he'd been arround" said the man "What?" asked Meru fearing that he might not of gone out of his own decision. "He went missing as I said" continued the man with his first line of conversation "he went missing and nobody seemed to know anything about what he was doing or had done. the ministers thought it was a silly idea" "We have to see Emile now!" said Meru, almost grabbing the man by the collar (if had had one) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- the four dragoons passed quickly over the twin castle in Fletz. None of the three liked Loyd, and Albert hated him. there was a general dislike for the wingly. It was only Dart who didn't mind him, and he was far away in Mayfil. Haschal slowed down and hovered next to Kongal. "Should I tell Albert yet?" he asked "No!" returned Kongal quickly ", Albert be sad when find he out. World at stake, Emile can manage" "I suppose. Shouldn't we imform Princes Lisa?" "Hmm, Kongal think this a good idea, but we have no time!" Haschal quickly flew up beside Albert. "Albert! Shouldn't we send someone to imform Fester and Lisa about what's happening?" "I'll go" said Loyd "No your not" interfered Albert quickly "You!?" returned Haschal "why do you think we're going to trust you?" "Because we need to hurry, and I'm the only one fast enougth to catch up with you again without slowing you down!" Albert thought about it. "I don't trust you" he said folding his arms. "Listen" said Loyd getting frustrated ", it's not a question if whether you trust me or not, it's the plain fact that they need to know! Now I'm faster than all of you put together so just let me imform them and I can get back to you and we can go again. It's not that difficult!" "You think you can fly faster than us?" returned Haschal folding his arms "Hah!" laugthed Loyd ", at the rate you train your selves of course I can" Loyd did a sumasult in front of them and sped off and circled arround towards the castle "I'll take your answer as a yes!" he called back "Dam proud wingly" murmered Haschal "I don't like him, he may just decide to join are side when he starts losing, but that doesn't mean we're going to acept him! Fly faster?, he's probably right but I'm not going to make it easy for him. Quick, everyone take one of these speed ups I brought, he isn't going to catch up with us that easily!" Albert laugthed out loud "trust you Haschal. I guess we better not make it too easy for him. As soon as we pass over that hill, then we use them. just so as he doesn't see us" Kongal smiled and followed suit. "Kongal like a good joke" Loyd swung off towards the palace and headed to what he knew from speaking to a person in Donau was Lisa's tower. Emile's was empty at the moment, though Fester and Lisa might have had an idea about who they planned to have in it. Loyd hovered down and pirched on the banister. Lisa came round of the corner suddenly and the sun blinded her, leaving a dark shape on the banister. "Rose?" asked Lisa turning to the dark figure ", no, of course not. who are you?" "You haven't seen much of me" replied Loyd ", I came by to explain something of the upmost importance to you, take it or leave it. Tell your gracious father Zior and your husband that, the world is in danger once again. Certain factors from the last campagne as I shall call it which shouldn't have been ignored, have arisen to troubles in this year" "What.. factors?" asked Lisa again "Shana, the moon child is still alive. the flesh and body of the moon child have been utterly destroyed along with that old decrepid fool Melbu Frahma. But still the soul is still in this world, tied to this earth by Shana's body. It can still do mischief. Melbu's descendent now reveals his decision to renslave your race by killing Shana. He shall harness the soul of the moon child into a new crystal sphere and the power of the winglys such as they had in the dragon campagne eleven thousand years ago" "You make it sound very dramatic" laugthed Lisa "Take it seriously. As I said, you can take that imformation or leave it, what you do is up to you, as long as you don't interfere. This battle envolves dragons, dragoons winglys and Virage. You have not the time nor the resources to send in a fleet or army, therefore I ask that you prepare, encase we fail" "We shall do just that" replied Lisa ", I'm sorry If I offended you" "Same to you princess, good luck, don't die" and with that he flew again out of the window. Lisa laugthed out loud. He was so serious, he reminded her of Rose in his own way. Perhaps that's why he was now carrying her spirit. Loyd sped off across the sky a dark bolt in the big blue. He couldn't see the other dragoons infront of him at all. Perhaps they were indeed as fast as him. He zoomed on to the next hill and they weren't there either. Looks like he'd have to really hurry. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- Tarian looked out from the cottage. His father was out off at Lavitz's house where the Queen was staying. This was tempory as plans for a new palace were being made. His father Rethanas used to be a knight in the serdian army but had retired. His father had taught Tarian how to use a saber when he was ten. His mother Amy often complained but he enjoyed it anyway. Getting cut wasn't his main concern. Tarian did heed his mother's warnings now and again but he was an adventurer, his mother had almost gotten him out of swords, but his father had always encouraged him. His mother may have succeeded in getting him to pack it up for good but oweing to the dragoons his spirit was ever enhanced to take up the passion again. He was only a small kid at 14, he had heard all the fairy tales a year before of the dragon campagne and knew them to be true when he saw dragoons for his own eyes, they weren't just made up. Because everyone anknoledged them. they saved Serdio from destruction, and one saved the Queen from death. He had seen the flames and the flickering shapes in the sky from his home. they were a few miles away from the city itself. That was because Rethanas didn't want to be right in the midst of all the hussle and bustle of a city. He pressed his fingers against the glass pains and looked out hopfully to see his father coming home. there was no sign of him. Tarian sighed. He had bright red hair which looked like it had once belonged to a baddly treated but very coulerful carpet. And a grey woolen jumper which in a strange parralal affect had been washed too much. His eyes were a deep brown, like chocolate. He had a lightly freckled face but it wasn't anougth to make him look spotty. He had a pair of sandles on his feet and black trouses. Amy was in the kitchen preparing a supper, cutting vegtiables and heating water to boil. She wouldn't mind if he went for a walk, would she? "Mum!" he called from the sitting room. It was a well furished rich house with red carpet attire. "Yes dear, what is it?" she replied with the clank of a pan in the background. "I was wondering if I could just go out for a walk?" "Sure you can! But don't go to far!" "I won't" he replied and closed the door behind him, it closed lightly with a noise a mouse could miss hearing. Tarian walked a few paces out of the house and stopped. the sun went out behind some clouds and a cold wind started up (or at least that's what it felt like). With any more bad luck it would probably rain. Tarian walked a few paces more before he heard a shriek from inside the house. "Tarian get back here!" shouted his mother "What? What have I done?" he asked. "Just do as I say! Come back slowly!" there was a sweep of wind and Tarian was gone. "Tarian!" shouted his mother running out of the door. But he was gone. He had been taken away. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- "there he is!" whispered Miranda to herself. She could just see  
  
Dart going down one of the passages. A few moments ago she had lost him when he had come into the dead city.  
  
"Dart!" she called running after him. She had not brought her bow, only a small silver dagger, there was no time to prepare herself, the best she could have done was to have brought a book on Mayfil, and that wouldn't have been much help. "Dart what the heck are you doing here? Dam he can't here me"  
  
Quickly she ran along after him. He was stumbling down the passageway half jogging half falling over. As she reached him she gave him a light tap on the shoulder. She heard the shing of a blade and imiediately backed off instinctly. It was lucky she did for the dragon buster sawed through the air a mass of bright white and yellow flames. "Dart! It's me!" replied Miranda  
  
"Rose?" asked Dart with a wild look in his eye  
  
"No! Miranda you idiot, why the hell are you running arround Mayfil?"  
  
"Shana" said Dart turning back down the passageway as if that justified everything. Miranda hurried after him.  
  
"What's happened to Shana?" whispered Miranda her hand on his shoulder. the shoulder tightened as her hand touched it. the air was cold and blue and came in puffs from his lungs. He was not in good health and his eyes were black with lack of sleep.  
  
"they burned down Seles, they took Shana away" he said turning to Miranda. She saw now there was a mad look in his eyes. Somthing was wrong with him.  
  
"Dart" replied Miranda slowly "that was all a long time ago now"  
  
"Loyd came, but we didn't move fast enougth, Albert got hurt, I left them behind, she's here, Rose said I should let her die... Rose said I should let her die"  
  
Miranda paused. Dart was breathing heavily, and out of breath, his hand clutched tightly arround the dragon buster as if it were a time bomb. "Dart?" asked Miranda ", I think you should come back with me to the pallace"  
  
"No!" shouted Dart "NO!! the world is in danger!! I have to.... Shana! the crystal sphere!"  
  
"Signet sphere?" asked Miranda  
  
"It's down there" said Dart pointing to the darkness in the tunnel "Frahma's going to kill her and there's nothing I can do"  
  
"What's down there?" asked Miranda puzzled. She was worried for Dart.  
  
"Shana!" replied Dart again ", they're going to kill her, they're going"  
  
"Snap out of it!" shouted Miranda ", there's nobody here except us and the spirits! Now pull yourself together and come back to the castle!"  
  
"Down there!" said Dart pointing into the darkness. Miranda looked into his wild eyes again. the fire still burned there like it would always do. Somehow somthing of truth in the tunnel seemed to come through to Miranda.  
  
"Show me!" she whispered stairing into the darkness  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- "It all happened so soon!" said Emile almost in tears "everything went so wrong. As I said Albert was gone and there was nothing I could do. I fear he maybe dead or worse. Kongal and Haschal went away and then there was nobody here anymore except me to pick up the pieces" "When I see Albert!" complained Meru "I'll give him a great clonk on the nose!" "But what if we don't see Albert" said Emile desperately "Listen!" interupted Meru "don't talk like that! I know Albert pretty well and there's quite a few factors which I know are true about him!. That he's stupid and brave for going off, that he's a acomplished king of royal blood and a dragoon who has been in combat more than I have. He isn't going to just trip and break his neck" (Emile bursed into tears) "Meru!" said Guhara loudly and almost gave her a clout around the ear. "Sorry! Sorry!" said Meru as softly and as kindly as possible "I didn't mean to remind you. But seriously, he's not going to die! there's just no way" Meru quietened down and her voice trailed on but seemed just to sink into silence.S Guhara mumbled something and sat down. Whatever it was, Meru wished she hadn't heard it. Lavitz's mother was a very sad widow. Everyone she had ever known well had died before her, and it was just her left. She came in the room and sat down. She was a very quiet person now, never spoke out of place. "You will have to be going soon" she said softly "But where to?" asked Meru looking glum. Her elbows were on the table and her chin rested on her hands. She was a pretty little thing. "To where your needed" continued Lavitz's mother. "the other's headed south to Seles. I guess that's where you two better go as well" sniffed Emile wiping her eyes. Meru looked at the table. there was a long crack in it which kept catching her eye. It was a very old table. Guhara walked out suddenly of the house and slammed the door behind him. "Guhara!" called Meru quickly and ran after him. there was a long pause as one of the soldiers closed the door which swung wildly in the wind. It was a windy day in Bale and dust from the roads was blowing up everywhere you went. Emile had asked them percifically not to treat her as in the castle. She preferred being called Emile rather than Queen Emile. That's why the guards didn't try to stop them from leaving. Lavitz's mother looked up slowly. there was a slight watering in her eyes. She walked away to the steps and paused, her hands trembiling slightly on the banister. "they never chased Lavitz like that" she said saddly. Emile tried to say something quickly, but nothing came out. Instead just a short yelp of a noise. She couldn't say anything, she closed her mouth and looked at the floor. She sighed. the mother walked slowly up the stairs her black veil flowing up each step like the waves of the sea on a dark night. She turned the corner and was gone. "Oh, dear" sighed Emile ,tears in her eyes "what a sad life we lead" "Guhara wait!" cried Meru running after him. He stopped by the well and looked down it into the water and buket below. Something shiny was at the bottom. "It's off again" he sighed "when can't we just live in peace? I want to live in peace" "What do you mean?" asked Meru, but she already knew the answer. "You know what I mean, I want to live in the forrest, the warmth of a bed at home to sleep in every night! the comfort of waking up to a beautiful morning of sunshine and watch the seasens change into winter. the forrest is so pretty in the winter, the birds sing, the sky is cold but blue, it's more beautiful than I can say or express in words. I want to live at home, I want to live in the comfort that only a home can have, I want to just keep my feet on the ground" Meru looked down into the well. Guhara staired there, his eyes fixed down into the darkness, there was no comfort in the well except for ignorance. It brought you away from the truth, like the crack in the table. Meru looked across into his eyes. "I can give you that" she said "But it's just. it's just" It's Just what? What came next. She couldn't think what to say. Guhara proberly had a answer to every argument she could make, there was nothing to come after the "it's just" she hung there, he'd proberly leave her whatever she said. there was only one thing for it, she just hoped it would work. Quickly she rose up on tip toes and kissed him. She took him arm in arm and it was as if her love for him could solve all of the problems of the world. they hung there, two living breathing creatures in the day light. She loved him all the more for it. She looked into his eyes holding onto his hands, her eyes were half closed because the sun glowed across his hair, half blinding her. He gave a half smile and she smiled back, but she had not made him happy. Meru had the smoothest skin, it was as if a women had jumped into the skin of a child and stayed there. It was the first time they had kissed since the wedding night. "Come on" she whispered "there must be an inn arround here somewhere" "You don't need to kiss me to make me love you you know" he said softly "Shh! Come, let's go!" She pulled him by the hand and lead him off, and he followed. She would make him love her, she didn't want to be alone in the world. A noise broke out like thunder, a rumble in the distance and a wind blew up. "Dragon!" shouted a man running across the square. People ran to and throw afraid that the flaming women had returned. A dark shadow passed over the sky and Meru's hair blew back with the sheer force of wind. the red eyed dragon roared in delight and scattered a sheet of flames in the air. there was a moaning from above and as she watched the dragon leave she saw a child on it's back. Quickly she turned to Guhara. "I've got to go!" she said. She paused and saw the dissapointment in his face, it was the same for all dragoons. the spirit always got in the way like a curse. Quickly she kissed him on the cheek and with a flash of blue watery light, blasted up into the sky. But then again, when someone has true love and happiness, how could the dragoon spirit possibly work? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Kongal Haschal and Albert zoomed across the sky, the speed ups had helped incredibly. they left long glowing trails behind them as they went. "It doesn't look like Loyd can catch up that easily!" laugthed Haschal to him self "He's behind us" muttered Albert looking back Haschal sighed. Slowly he turned his head back and saw on the horizon a distant shape moving towards them very fast. "Bloody winglys" Loyd soon caught up. He hovered again next to Albert. "Sorry I'm late" he murmered "you were pretty fast. It took me a while to catch up" Albert gave Haschal a sideways look, both of their expressions could have boiled an egg. "We're almost there" said Loyd a little out of breath "If you had traveled that fast all the way then we might have caught up with Dart in time" "Perhaps if you'd flown that fast all the way you could go ahead and come back and tell us what the weather was like so we could decide whether to bring are brollis or not!" growled Haschal scowling at the wingly, a partucular face he only used for really telling off bad students. Loyd scowled back and dropped back beside Kongal who seemed to be less full of annoying remarks. Albert looked back and felt that there was a bad atmosphere in the air. He thought again and realised that that should have been impossible, for the air they had had the conversation in was a couple of miles back already. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- Dart and Miranda peered down from a small ledge. Just across for quite away was the glowing core of Mayfil. It pulled all spirits towards it, the city itself trapped lost spirits inside of it until they acidently moved to close to the centre. then they would be sucked into the core and into the after life. Below from the ledge Miranda could see hundreds of winglys each with a deadly white blade watching intently at Hatu who was at the front. So weak was the power that he had over them in his voice, she thought how easily they could be made to rebell if somehow they realised all this wasn't worth it. His blue blade shone mysteriously in the soul haze and he looked deadly with his scar, where he got it, only another wingly could have told her. Shana was in front of him, stretched out on a table, in his hand he held a great big dagger carved with wingly patterns. "Today!" he called out over the hall "the decendent of the great Melbu Frahma! None other than myself! Shall personally bring back the soul of the moon child into are possession! Long ago there was a legend that the moon child would bring a blessing to the world! I say that blessing happened! It was before the humans ruined it! This artifact belongs to us winglys!" "Dart! I don't want to die!" came Shana's voice in his head. This time it was louder than ever. The dragon buster burst into flames and Miranda lept back. Dart gripped the handle hard, a drop of blood dripped down his hand and landed with a gentle splish on the rock. A couple of winglys looked up but after seeing nothing for a couple of seconds turned their eyes back on Hatu. There was a loud cheer of applause from the winlies after Hatu insulted the old emporah Diaz with a number of nasty words. "It is true!" continued Hatu "that blood leads to blood, but are revenge is in good cause! the humans started this! they were the ones who brought the old empire down! And now we shall reclaim it as ours! It was ours and always is and shall be, we shall use the power to beat back the humans and take back are lands! the old citys will fly again! With are infinite magic we shall repare them and win the day! I shall use the magic to call upon the remaining Virage in the world. We shall use them as we did, as weapons of war!" "Dart! Don't let me die!" came her frantic voice. Dart didn't know how the thoughts came into his head, they just did somehow. "Now!" exclaimed Hatu "let us begin!" Slowly some winglys in a procession came forward from the crowd. "Oh my god!" said Miranda "we've got to help her!" "We carn't" replied Dart gripping the blade harder "she has to d..." The winglys moved the table closer to the centre and Hatu moved aside holding the ornately cothered dagger. He was chanting or mumbling to himself something like a high priest before a offering to the gods. "Hail Hatu! Leader of the winglys!" chanted the crowds "he shall bring back the forgotten power" The winglys laid the body to rest and walked aside and formed a cemi circle infront of the table so that the crowd could see. Hatu walked up infront of her body and took out the knife. "Dart!" screemed Shana in his head "Save me! I know your there! Please help me! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" This time the voice came as a sobbing wail in his head. "With got to help her!" said Miranda almost too loudly "We can't!" moaned Dart tears coming to his eyes "we have to do this to save the world!" "Is that what you belive!" returned Miranda looking into his eyes "is that what you belived when you talked so bravely of rescuing her back from Zieg? Even against Fate!" "May her death bring us life!" finished Hatu "Shana!" said Dart stairing widely "What's your choise Dart! I'll follow you" said Miranda with worry in her eyes. Hatu lifted the blade and it shone in the light. "NO!!" shouted Dart, and he interfered. Perhaps this was the last great act Dart would ever do, time would tell. He swooped down with a bright flash as divine dragoon towards Hatu. He saw the eyes watch him and the blade come down. It pierced her flesh, blood came out and soaked her cloths. He was too late. "Shana!" he shouted swinging the dragon buster forward and then charging faster with a thrust. the flaming sword burning white hot now went straight through the wingly leader and out the other side. He shouted out in agony as blood shot forward and mixed with Shana's. He fell forward as Dart pulled it out and prepared himself for defense. The winglys charged forward as the crystal sphere dropped to the ground and smashed, with no soul inside but a empty vacume. Shana's soul clung to it's body. Miranda leapt forward off her pirch after realizing what was happening and cast star children on the crowd of winglys. Most of them ran backwards into Mayfil to avoide the burning white lights which attacked them. Many were hit and burned with a white light. They fell down like leaves in the wind and roled frantically to try and get the fires out. But they wouldn't go out and many died, before the magic used itself up. As the winglys attacked Dart suddenly a great blue shield of magic surrounded them. the winglys were thrown back and one hit his head on a stone. You could see his soul clinging to rocks as it was pulled from his dieing body and into the Vortex. Hatu's spirit sailed away crieing for help and then plumeted into the afterlife. Dart freed Shana's bonds and she got up. Blood was streaming down from her chest. there was a great wound there; she should have been dead already. "Dart" she said Dart held her tight "Dart, I love you" she said cougthing. Suddenly blood streaming from her mouth she kissed him on the lips and held him there. the kiss caught Dart off guard and held him there inside the blue shield. He saw the shield flicker suddenly. And then it happened, he felt the power flowing into him, a great and infinite power, His sword blew out. Shana was helping him in her death. It flowed through his torso and throughout his arms and legs in a great swirling torrent. Everywhere it touched he felt a tingling sensation, like a rubberband being stretched and needing to twang. He was full of energy and power. A blue light cothered him whole and he was stuck there paralysed. the shield flicklered more and faded and then began to strengthen again. Dart's eyes turned in almost upon them selves. "Dart!" shouted Miranda but she had no time. She had to defend herself. And then she let him go. She fell forward and he saw her soul flow away, outstretching it's arms trying to reach him. "No! Shana!" he shouted running forward, but it was too late, she was gone. Her corpse was down in front of him, next to her, Hatu lay dead the dagger and broken crystal next to him. Miranda sweeped across the winglys picking them off, but she was loosing the element of surprise. More and more winglys were taking to the air. She started to have to dodge fire balls which missed and smashed on the ceiling. Several started casting poisen and stunning spells but soon realised that dragoons were imuned to these. Dart turned around quickly. He saw Miranda and flew forward at high speed. He hovered at the top of his flight and blasted the winglys with multi bolts of light. Winglys turned in a frightned crowd like ants and many bumpped into each other of fell to be trampelled by others. The fire balls crashed down and took chunks out of the rock itself. A small rock came down from the ceiling and knocked Miranda out. She slumped and Dart quickly caught her as the spell finished. As Loyd had said, all of the citys of the winglys had been well defended, Mayfil was no exception. The power of the spells and the magic being used must have trigered the use waking of those defenses. The ground trembled. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- The fiery dragon ahead of Meru sawed through the sky. It was hard to see what the child on it's back was doing. She followed them. A loose dragon would be a problem she'd have to deal with. Wind rushed past as she tried to look ahead, it made her eyes water. The dragon bent through the air, it's flexible back arching through the clouds. A large cloud past over and Meru lost sight of what was happening. When she looked again the dragon and the boy were gone. They were nowhere to be seen. "Drat!" exclaimed Meru looking across the ground for any sighn of them. But there was no sighn, they were gone, perhaps the dragon knew she was following it and took it's chance at that moment. "I'll find you! Don't worry child I'll rescue you, whoever you are" Meru paused, unsure how to go on. Her dragoon strength was ebbing and she knew it, she would need to rest ahiwile before she could transform again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- General Doriken looked down from the fortress. Mayfil glowed in it's ghostly light, the various tunnels and passages stretching out of the earth. One could only imagine things happening here in the dark, inside it was always dark. He knew something terrble had happened down below, he had felt it. He could see the lights as well. He wasn't for Hatu's ideas, he didn't agree with them, but Satavesti had to be organised, and he was the man to do it. He could feel something in the air not quite right. Something had changed, which was going to have a strong influence on the world. Perhaps it was the death of Hatu? Doriken hoped that Tamai would arrive soon with the armies from Serdio. He would know what to do, and hopefully take over Hatu's post. The wingly, Tamai was a clever mage of extreme power. He would help, surely? A shape burst out from the city below, all in white it dazlled in the sun. Following it was a gigantic creature, a super virage. The two powers battled, neither wanting to give way. Flames sawed through the air as the dragon buster wirled round. Doriken watched the divine dragoon fight, with interest and fear. He saw it not as a person, but as a killing machine, created for destruction. And in the midst of the battle, he knew for certain which would win. Cut's of deadly proporion ripped across the super Virage, and in panic it backed off trying to defend itself. Light flared in all direction as weapons clashed. "Turn the fortress arround!" shouted the general wingly quickly. The winglys inside of the control room quickly set about using the pannels. It was a white room of a texture somewhat like perfect white marble. The fortress turned away, leaving only a shimmer in the air, it moved across the sky, the last great city of the winglys. Only destruction and turmoil raged below. As Miranda awoke, down below on one of the many platforms, safely at rest she felt the ground quiver and quake under her. The truth of the matter she had realised as she looked up, and it made her ashamed. As she saw the spirit of the divine dragon hurtle across the sky in blazing glory, fireing bolts of energy in all direction's the horrifying truth came to her. Now Dart was the god of destruction, with the death of Shana, he had turned mad with the stress and strain upon him. The dragon buster flared up and burned upon his anger, the spirit of the divine dragon flowed through him giving him the power. He was in torture, and the powers flowed from this. "What have I done" she whispered, as she realised that it was her who had made up his mind to try and save Shana, the truth was that she was in the rat trap already. And at that final moment the spirit of the final species set down by Soa at the beginning of time had taken its chance to save itself. Shana not realising what had happened had caused a monster of her beloved. Miranda watched the great rocks fall down upon her and didn't try to save her self, she was too ashamed. She imagined in agony the thoughts that would go through Dart's mind. The pain, the misery, the loss. It was her who had ruined 10000 years of work. Now finally Soa had changed his mind, but Miranda had ruined the new light. "I don't deserve to wield this spirit" whispered Miranda in deliria "Shana should have kept it accursed thing" and in a flash of light she threw the stone down the depths of Mayfil. It hit rocks as it fell, and with each step it clinked as if a gem pleading it's owner to take it back, and then into the darkness below. The shadow became larger as Miranda looked up, the light darkened from the sky and Miranda suddenly felt very alone in the world. Her only companion was the dagger, she looked at it for a second, as the light was blocked out. It was a pretty thing, it filled her with a little content, like the crack on the table. And then with a slam the pillar fell, and the platform collapsed down into the abyss of Mayfil, and it was like the depths of the well. 


End file.
